Age of Air: Recent Episodes
Rebeccah Dean
An astrology, magic and tarot podcast for the new elemental age of air. To find out more about me and my work, swing by my newsletter at airofair.substack.com
ageofair.substack.com
In this post, I talk about career in Vedic astrology, and how you can gain insight and timing advice by analyzing three separate charts: The main birth chart (D1), the D9 skills chart, and the D10 career chart.
On my Substack newsletter, I go deeper into the D10 chart and all the details it shows about career. I also explore the question why many people are successful in jobs they hate, or the other way around, and what Vedic astrology has to say about this.
You can find the post here on goodstarsjyotish.substack.com.
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit goodstarsjyotish.substack.com/subscribe
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In this episode, I talk about the Atmakāraka, or personal soul planet, and how it shows us the experience and topics we are particularly tied to karmically. By exploring how house placement, sign and aspects affects this, I explore the complicity and nuance of that which our soul needs to learn and what type of karma it needs to wrestle with and burn off in this life.
If this is a completely new concept to you, check out my first post about how to determine your soul planet and what it means here.
Want to find out what your Atmakāraka means in your chart? Then book a consultation with me here.
A dangerous combination in the sign of the king
In this episode, I talk about Mars and Ketu, which will be within one degree of each other on July 21 and come into exact conjunction on July 23. This marks the culmination of a volatile, fiery energy that’s been building since both planets entered sidereal Leo.
For more about this transit, check out my newsletter at goodstarsjyotish.substack.com
Interested in booking a Vedic astrology consultation? You can find out how on my website, goodstarsjyotish.com
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit goodstarsjyotish.substack.com/subscribe
Rāhu and Ketu: A Meditation on the Shadow Planets
In this episode of Good Stars Jyotish, Michelle offers a poetic reflection on Rāhu and Ketu—the shadow planets of Vedic astrology. Not a breakdown of transits or techniques, but a meditation on who these grahas are, what they unravel, and why their influence is anything but ordinary.
For the full post on their current transit and what it means for your chart, visit:👉 goodstarsjyotish.substack.com
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit goodstarsjyotish.substack.com/subscribe
Trump’s 2025: Karmic Reckoning & the Daśās Behind It
In this episode, I explore the powerful daśā shifts ahead for Donald Trump—why 2025 may be a turning point not just politically, but karmically.
We look at three major timing techniques in Vedic astrology:
Viṁśottarī Daśā – reveals where the mind is focused
Nārāyaṇa Daśā – tracks external events and public life
Mūla Daśā – shows deep karmic unraveling
Trump enters Leo Nārāyaṇa Daśā and Scorpio Mūla Daśā on his 79th birthday – bringing major themes of health, status, emotional collapse, and karmic reckoning. It’s a period marked by volatility, possible health crises, and spiritual confrontation.
I also preview two upcoming essays:
Trump’s assassination attempt, analyzed using Śūla Daśā
A deeper dive into Kāla Sarpa Yoga in his chart (and others)
✨ Read the full essay on Substack:goodstarsjyotish.substack.com
📚 Book a personal reading or learn more at:www.goodstarsjyotish.com
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit goodstarsjyotish.substack.com/subscribe
In this episode of Good Stars Jyotish, Vedic astrologer Michelle R. Dean explores the emotional and energetic impact of the rare Saturn–Rahu conjunction in Pūrvabhādra Nakshatra during April 2025. Learn why this eclipse season feels so charged, what’s really being stirred beneath the surface, and how to stay grounded as the karmic winds shift. To read the post about how this may show up in the collective, swing by my Substack newsletter, Good Stars Jyotish.
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit goodstarsjyotish.substack.com/subscribe
In this episode, I tell a story to illustrate why remedies are important in Vedic astrology. They are what helps you have the strength to "get up the hill" and become the best version of yourself
As I mentioned in the podcast, I’m going to do a three-part series on remedies in the upcoming weeks.
The next part will be about the mechanics of remedies and will address questions like “Will remedies always give me what I want?” (spoiler alert: the answer is no). The third part will be a behind-the-scenes glimpse at how I prescribe remedies to my clients. If you want to get these posts delivered to you inbox, please subscribe to my newsletter at goodstarsjyotish.substack.com
If you have any specific questions about remedies or anything else related to Vedic astrology, feel free to ask them in the Astro Question Box.
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit goodstarsjyotish.substack.com/subscribe
In this episode, I talk about the upcoming new moon in Aquarius, the Saturn cycle, fear and a crisis in democracy. I go into this in more detail in the post I've published on my newsletter, which you can find here.
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit goodstarsjyotish.substack.com/subscribe
A Vedic astrology breakdown of Elon Musk’s chart—his strengths, his missteps, and the planetary influences shaping his image, business dealings, and future. What do the stars say about where he’s headed next?
Read more at Good Stars Jyotish on Substack.
Find out more about me or book a consultation at goodstarsjyotish.com
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit goodstarsjyotish.substack.com/subscribe
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Here are my thoughts on the link between Venus in Pisces and Jupiter in Taurus that will be happening from January 27/28 to May 15 – and how Rahu throws a wrench into the cosmic works. Check out the post I wrote where I make a few possible predictions for the collective as well as talk about what this transit might mean for you. You can find it at goodstarsjyotish.substack.com
Welcome to my Astro Weather Report series, where I present some of the significant planetary movements and summarize the impact they may have on our lives and the collective.
In today's episode, I'll talk about Mars returning to Gemini and Venus' exact conjunction to Saturn in the sidereal zodiac.
For more on Vedic astrology, swing by my newsletter goodstarsjyotish.substack.com
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit goodstarsjyotish.substack.com/subscribe
In 2025, four slower planets will move into new signs in the sidereal zodiac used in Vedic astrology. These four planets are Jupiter, Saturn, Rahu and Ketu.
It not all that common for slower planets to change signs in the same year. However, what makes 2025 especially unusual is that they are all changing at more or less the same time. That's a big change happening all at once.
To find out what this might mean for your – and why April is the month to watch for – listen to this podcast. For more, swing by goodstarsjyotish.substack.com to read the post I wrote on this topic.
Michelle R. Dean is a Vedic astrologer and writer based in Berlin. To find out more about Michelle, swing by here.
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit goodstarsjyotish.substack.com/subscribe
In this podcast episode, I talk about a recent encounter I had with a deer that I considered a good omen for a mantra practice I’ve recently started.
The universe often speaks to us, we just have to learn to slow down, tune in and listen.
This is where omens come in.
What’s an omen?
In Jyotish (Vedic astrology), for something to be considered at omen, it needs to be:
- an unusual occurrence
For example, with the story about the deer, I’ve sat at that same bench many times in the past ten years. Never once have I seen a deer in that meadow, let alone had one approach me out of the blue. If deer sightings and encounters were more common in the area, this experience would have seemed less like an omen I should pay attention to.
- happen shortly after a question or statement has been made or an action has been concluded
Let’s consider a more mundane example. Say you apply for a new job. You get your application ready, upload your documents and press send. Of course, now you’re wondering, “Will I get the job?”
A few minutes later you check your messages and see you’ve gotten a text from a friend with wonderful news (“We’re pregnant!” or “We got the house!”) or one with bad news (“I owe more in taxes than I thought.” or “My mom is ill.”)
Although this message isn’t directly related to your job application, the fact that it came through shortly after you completed this action could be considered a positive or negative omen about the final result.
However, this would not be the case if the text came before you sent the application or many hours afterward.
Don’t ignore, but also don’t overinterpret
It’s important to remain open and receptive to omens; however, you should avoid actively seeking them out at all times. The universe does give us answers at times, yes, but in my experience that does not mean she’s a Chatty Cathy.
That’s what makes omens special: they are only delivered when something really needs to be said.
Let’s move on now to Nimitta.
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Omenology: One of the Six Branches of Jyotish
Nimitta (omen/sign), or Shakun Shastra, is a very interesting branch of Vedic astrology that concentrates specifically on interpreting omens to gain deeper understanding or make future predictions.
Types of Nimitta include:
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Natural Phenomena: This includes unusual weather patterns, celestial events, or natural disasters.
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Animal Behavior: The actions and behavior of animals, birds, and insects can be interpreted as omens.
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Physical Sensations: Unexplained bodily sensations or experiences can also be considered Nimitta.
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Dreams: Specific types of dreams and their symbols are interpreted as predictive signs.
One of the most significant classical Jyotish texts with chapters specifically on Nimitta is The Brihat Samhita, written by the 6th century astrologer and polymath, Varahamihira. This book include omens connected with specific animals, such as birds, cows, dogs, elephants, and so on.
Reinterpreting ancient omens
Obviously, the world has changed quite a bit since the 6th century. However, that does not mean the omens listed in Brihat Samhita don’t have merit – they just may need to be modernized in some cases.
For example, elephants are obviously a bit hard to come where I live in Europe. However, if we consider what an elephant would be used for in the ancient world – namely, work and transportation – could we perhaps update the omen as being signified by a bus (i.e., large mode of transportation) or a crane (i.e., large machine for work and hauling)?
Or could we translate the omen of a crow landing on a dead tree as one landing on a city telephone pole?
Definitely omenology food for thought worth testing.
Omens never stand alone
In Chapter 96: Supplementary to Omens XI, Varahamirhira writes:
A person learned in the sciences of omens shall make predictions taking into account the dik (direction), place, motion, sound, week day, the Nakshatra, the Muhurta, the rising sign, the Karana (half a lunar day), the rising Navamsa and the fixed, moveable or double nature of (astrological) signs (of the planets) and their strengths and weaknesses.
In other words, omens are simply an additional layer an astrologer adds to bring depth and accuracy to their interpretations and predictions, one that is always paired with other techniques and important considerations.
Michelle R. Dean is a Vedic astrologer and writer based in Berlin. To find out more about Michelle or book a Vedic astrology consultation, swing by here.
Get full access to Good Stars Jyotish at goodstarsjyotish.substack.com/subscribe
Mercury, the swift-moving planet of communication, enters the sensitive and nurturing sign of Cancer on June 26, marking a shift in the way we think, express ourselves, and communicate with others. In this episode, I explore what this means in the collective and our personal lives and talk about the upcoming shift in Mercury's synodic cycle.
For more podcasts and texts at the crossroads between Jyotish (Vedic astrology) and traditional Western astrology, please swing back crossroadsastrology.substack.com.
To find out more about me and my background in astrology or book a consultation, visit rebeccahdean.com
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit crossroadsastrology.substack.com
Eclipse survival 101!
On April 19/20, 2023, there will be a rare hybrid solar eclipse in the sign of Aries. Eclipses can bring in intensity and drama, and it’s important to make sure you don’t get negatively swept up in the moment and make choices you may later regret.
Here’s a lowdown on what you need to know about eclipses and how to get through them in general, as well as details on the flavor this month’s eclipse will bring.
For more, check out crossroadsastrology.substack.com
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit crossroadsastrology.substack.com
On January 12, 2023, Mars in Gemini will finally be stationing direct. The planet stationed retrograde on October 30, 2022.*
Photo by Planet Volumes on Unsplash
Mars retrograde in Gemini – recap
Mars is the planet of action and energy, and when it goes into retrograde, its effects can affect action, assertiveness, ambition and motivation. In Mercury-ruled Gemini, this Mars retrograde may have led to confusion and indecision, as Gemini is a sign that is associated with communication and changeability.
Mars likes to get into action fast, and all this back and forth and lack of ability to move forward or make definitive decisions could have definitely brought frustration and short tempers to the house in your natal chart with Gemini on the cusp. You can read a little about Mars retrograde in Gemini through the houses here, although you should definitely know by now where the delays and irritation caused by this aspect were coming from.
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Some important dates concerning Mars retrograde in Gemini
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August 21, 2022 – Mars entered Gemini
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October 30, 2022 – Mars stationed retrograde at 25 degrees 37 of Gemini
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January 12, 2023 – Mars is stationing direct at 8 degrees 8 of Gemini
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March 26, 2023 – Mars is moving into Cancer
Mars in Cancer has it’s own challenges I’ll take about later, but the main thing to keep in mind is that all of the energy, focus and sometimes frustration and anger brought about by Mars living forever in the house with Gemini on the cusp in your chart will come to a close.
Mars was last at 8 degrees 8 of Gemini on September 4, 2022, so whatever Mars-related topics around action, assertiveness, ambition and motivation that came up from this time to around October 26, 2022 will be revisited as Mars moves through these degrees one more time between January 12 to March 17. Take what you learned during the retrograde period and expect less hurdles, delays and (annoying) miscommunications now that the planet is direct once more.
*Please note that this post and podcast is from the point of view of Western astrology.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit crossroadsastrology.substack.com
Please note: the first part of this text is written from the perspective of Western astrology.
On December 29, 2022 Mercury will go retrograde in the sign of Capricorn. On this day it will also be conjunct Venus.
A retrograde cycle also asks us to reexamine, test and adjust certain topics pertaining to the planet in question. With Mercury and Venus kicking off the ride here, we’re called to examine communication (Mercury) in relationships (Venus) or women in a broader sense.
Some thoughts on this Mercury in Capricorn retrograde cycle
Ruled by Saturn, Capricorn is about responsibility, hard work and commitment, and Mercury in this sign gains a certain sense of gravitas. This isn’t chatterbox Mercury talking a mile a minute about nothing and everything. Instead, he has a “say what you mean and do what you say” kind of feel that might come across as overly serious and taciturn.
Venus helps bring in some artistic flair to communication, as well as desire for relating. In this day and age, when your next fling is just a swipe to the right away, people sometimes forget that real, lasting (Saturnian terms!) relationships take hard work (and there’s another one). But this is exactly the strength of Venus in Capricorn.
Some questions to ask yourself on December 29 and throughout this retrograde cycle (which fit in perfectly with the Capricorn New Moon on December 29!):
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How can I be more responsible in my communication, especially in my relationships?
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How can I better commit to artistic projects and how I relate to others?
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What serious conversations have I been putting off, especially in my relationship? How can I have them now and still ensure I remain respectful?
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How do I treat and talk to women? What improvements, if any, can I commit to?
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What work can I do to better keep my word?
Another thing to keep in mind:
Mercury is the planet of communication, transportation, technology and business, and when he’s retrograde, things can go array in each of those areas. E-mail that don’t make it to your inbox, planes delayed and buses running off schedule, a slump in the market, post-Christmas packages delivered to the wrong address – these could all be the kind of snafus that pop up during this period.
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Astro stats
December 29, 2022 – Mercury stations retrograde at 24 degrees 21 in Capricorn and is tightly conjunct Venus
January 8, 2023 – Mercury stations direct at 8 degree 8 in Capricorn
February 7, 2023 – Mercury returns to the same degrees it was in when it went retrograde. Whatever you were personally exploring and re-examining when the retrograde period started will likely be revisited at this time.
As always, look at the house in your chart with Capricorn on the cusp to get a better feel about what topics might come up for you during this Mercury retrograde cycle.
Photo by Sergio Martínez on Unsplash
What does Jyotish say about Mercury retrograde?
Although retrograde planets may be in different signs in the sidereal zodiac than they are in the tropical zodiac, the retrogradation periods are the same in both systems. However, Vedic astrology sees retrograde planets in a different light than the traditional Western system.
In traditional Western astrology, a retrograde planet – in the natal chart or by transit – is considered a weakness in the planet’s significations. For example, if someone has Mercury retrograde in their chart, they may have difficulties in communication, if Venus is retrograde, they may struggle in relationships, and so on.
However, in traditional Jyotish, a retrograde planet is seen as extra strong. If a person has a retrograde planet in their chart, the desires they have for whatever the planet signifies will be stronger (i.e. communication for Mercury retrograde, relationships for Venus retrograde, etc.). However, because this planet has become so strong, it also difficult to balance, therefore it is prone to extremes: for example, someone with Mercury retrograde natally might either never stop talking or never talk at all, someone with Saturn retrograde natally might be a workaholic or avoid working altogether, etc. If you want to read more about retrograde planets from the Vedic perspective, this article lays things out nicely.
So if the takes in Western and Vedic astrology are not the same, then which one is the “right” one? As I wrote in this post, both work equally well, they often just describe the same things in a different way.
A good way to think about it is to compare both systems to two different computer programs that serve the same function. Some people may prefer one program to the other, and one program may get the job done in a more elegant or user friendly way, but in the end the same results are achieved.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit crossroadsastrology.substack.com
On December7/8, 2022 we will have a full moon in Gemini conjunct Mars retrograde. Mars went retrograde on October 30, 2022 and will remain retrograde until January 12, 2023. The planet won’t move on to the next sign until the end of March, which means a whole lot of Mars in Gemini going on.
Whenever a planet is conjunct a full moon, it both colors the overall energy and get its moment in the spotlight to say its piece. If you’re still not sure how Mars retrograde is showing up for you personally, it’s likely this will become clearer around the full moon as well as the two and a half week period afterward.
For some insight into how this full moon might be showing up for you in terms of what it teaches you about your Mars retrograde, swing by my newsletter crossroadsastrology.substack.com
If you'd like to find out more about my background in astrology or book a consultation, please visit rebeccahdean.com
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit crossroadsastrology.substack.com
On August 19/20 Mars entered Gemini where he will stay, well, kind of forever – at least it might feel like it!
Mars normally spend about 57 days in a sign, but he will be in Gemini until March 25/26, 2023, so eight months altogether. This is because the planet will be going retrograde in the middle. But more on that later.
Some notes on Mars and Gemini:
Mars is the planet of action, heat, conflict, aggression and sometimes violence. It can bring irritability, rage and impulsiveness, a real act before you think (if you ever think) kind of energy.
An air sign, Mercury-ruled Gemini is all about communication. It also stand for things like technology, business and markets.
The combination can bring energy, forward-moving action and conflict to any of these areas, either in your personal life or the world at large. In general, this is a time when you should watch out (or prepare yourself) for an increase in aggressive speech and words and be careful that you don’t blurt things out in the heat of the moment that you’ll later regret.
Mars retrograde:
Although pretty much everyone has heard of Mercury retrograde, not everyone is aware that all planets other than the sun and moon go retrograde. While Mercury goes retrograde three times a year (hence its infamy), Mars goes retrograde only every two years and two months, which means it’s a fairly rare occurrence.
Mars retrograde in Gemini is even rarer: the last time this happened was at the end of 2007 and the beginning of 2008 during the onset of the global financial crisis.
In general, retrograde cycles come in three stages: the first stage is before the planet goes retrograde, the next stage is the retrograde period, and third stage is when it goes direct again until it finally changes signs.
The retrograde stage is the period when you revisit topics that came up during the first stage. It is also often a period when these topics involving the planet and its house feel “stuck,” like you can’t move forward or nothing is working as it should.
When the planet goes direct again, the wheels are greased and forward motion – and the chance to make changes – is once again possible.
Dates to keep in mind:
Mars is in Gemini from August 19/20, 2022 until March 24/25, 2023
Mars goes retrograde on October 30, 2022 and remains retrograde until January 12, 2023.
Mars stations direct on January 12, 2023 and stays in Gemini until March24/25, 2023, when it moves into Cancer.
Pay special attention to anything that comes up regarding your house placement of Mars in Gemini (see blow) around September 3 - 4. On this day, Mars will be at a little over 8 degrees, which is the degree it will be at when it stations direct again on January 12. That means any Mars in Gemini topics that come up between September 3 - 4 until October 25 are likely ones you will be revisiting again (or experience gridlock around) during the retrograde period.
Photo by SIMON LEE on Unsplash
Mars in Gemini through the houses
How Mars in Gemini affects you personally will depend on your personal natal chart. In general, this transit will likely be felt the most by anyone who has their rising sign on personal planets in one of the mutable signs, Pisces, Gemini, Virgo or Sagittarius. This is because Mars will either be falling into one of the powerful angular houses (1, 4, 7, 10) or making challenging aspects to your personal planets, which heightens the effect.
In general, no matter what your rising sign is, the topics that may come up will depend on which house has Gemini on the cusp in your birth chart. Here are a few ideas for you to check out.
Mars in Gemini in the 1st House
If you have Gemini rising, Mars in Gemini will be in your first house. The first house has to do with your physical body and vitality, so this period could leave you feeling more irritable than usual (especially during the retrograde period) and more likely to say things you might regret. On the more positive side, you may have a lot more energy than usual. However, be careful you don’t burn yourself out, as Mars tends to like to burn the candle at both ends. This may also be a time that is more challenging health-wise. Mars can cause things like rashes, wounds and inflammation, especially in the shoulders/arms since it’s in Gemini. Be extra gentle with these parts of your body during this time.
Mars in Gemini in the 2nd House
If you have Taurus rising, Mars in Gemini will be in your 2nd house. This will bring extra heat, energy and possibly conflict around your finances and resources. On a positive note, this could spur you into action and bring a greater focus on earning the bucks – with a possible hiccup or rethink on these matters when Mars goes retrograde. Remember, Mars is an impulsive, rash planet, so be careful you don’t fall into careless spending over these next eight months.
Mars in Gemini in the 3rd House
If you have Aries rising, Mars in Gemini will be in your 3rd house. This will bring extra heat, energy and possibly conflict in your neighborhood/place where you live, with siblings and in communication in general. Whether this means fights with annoying neighbors, a higher degree of irritation on how your city is run or sibling rivalry on steroids, be sure to watch your words. Asserting yourself and engaging in healthy conflict is one thing, but make sure you don’t blurt out things in anger that you can’t take back later.
Mars in Gemini in the 4th House
If you have Pisces rising, Mars in Gemini will be in your 4th house. This will bring extra heat, energy and possibly conflict in your home, family, parents or with your father in particular. This could everything from a wasp nest you discover in the attic – wasps are very Mars in Gemini animals! – you only discover after being stung a couple of time, fights with your landlord over home repairs or conflict with mom and dad. As before, be careful with words said rashly in anger. On a more positive note, this would be a good time to put some energy into upgrading the technology in your home – but not when Mercury is retrograde from September 9 to October 1! – or frankly discussing home repair/renovation ideas with your partner.
Mars in Gemini in the 5th House
If you have Aquarius rising, Mars in Gemini will be in your 5th house. This will bring extra heat, energy and possibly conflict with lovers or with children. Whether you see an increase in lover’s quarrels or your patience with your kids is even thinner than usual, try to be mindful of holding your tongue when needed: assertive communication, yes, hurtful words, no. On a more positive note, this could bring in a lot of energy to creative projects, especially writing projects – so get cracking on that novel!
Mars in Gemini in the 6th House
If you have Capricorn rising, Mars in Gemini will be in your 6th house. This will bring extra heat, energy and possibly conflict in health matters. The first house is the house of vitality and the body, while the 6th house is the house of disease. This means you need to be extra careful about any health concerns concerning rashes or inflammation, especially in your shoulders and arms. Having Mars here in the rational sign of Gemini would be a great time to consider making changes to your diet if these health issues come up for you at this time. The 6th house also rules pets, so this would be a great time to get a Mars in Gemini-type pet, like a very energetic, somewhat high-strung dog (Jack Russells come to mind) a snake or a red, and perhaps somewhat cranky, talking parrot. Oh yeah, and watch out for wasp stings.
Mars in Gemini in the 7th House
If you have Sagittarius rising, Mars in Gemini will be in your 7th house. This will bring extra heat, energy and possibly conflict in your relationship with your significant other. If things have been simmering for a while below the surface, this can be a good time to finally have the assertiveness to talk about what’s going on. However, as before, you have to be careful that you watch your tone and don’t try to air your dirty laundry with a blow torch. Besides romantic partners of the more serious, settled kind (again, lovers, love interests or love affairs would be more 5th house) the 7th house can also signify business partners, in which case the same advice applies.
Mars in Gemini in the 8th House
If you have Scorpio rising, Mars in Gemini will be in your 8th house. This will bring extra heat, energy and possibly conflict to debts and what you owe other people both karmically and financially. This house also stands for wills, and if you have a ongoing settlement during this time from a departed loved one, things might get heated between you and any other person involved. Again, try not to give in to expressing your anger and frustration in ways that are ultimately not productive. This house also stands for our fears and that which we choose not to face, so don’t be surprised if anger erupts around these topics from time to time – if it does, try to keep your cool.
Mars in Gemini in the 9th House
If you have Libra rising, Mars in Gemini will be in your 9th house. This will bring extra heat, energy and possibly conflict around higher learning and spiritual pursuits. Whether you’re putting more energy into your college courses, getting in shouting matches with other students on campus or having disputes with a spiritual leader, make sure you embrace the energy and forward motion without giving into impulsive behavior or overly aggressive communication.
Mars in Gemini in the 10th House
If you have Virgo rising, Mars in Gemini will be in your 10th. This will bring extra heat, energy and possibly conflict in your career or with your mother. This could be a time where you’re particularly busy at work or throwing yourself into new work projects with gusto. However, the potential for squabbles with co-workers, heated discussions with your boss or arguing with dad is also particularly high. State your mind and hold your ground, yes, but be careful you don’t give in to your frustrations and blurt out hurtful words that you can’t take back later.
Mars in Gemini in the 11th House
If you have Leo rising, Mars in Gemini will be in your 11th house. This will bring extra heat, energy and possibly conflict in your networks and circle of friends. As before, enjoy the positive burst of action your may get from this transit, but if you’re angry or annoyed, take extra time to cool off before confronting someone or pressing send on a message. The 11th house can also signify popularity and fans, so if this applies to you, the hateful words of Internet trolls might pop up even more than usual. Remember: haters gonna hate, but that doesn’t mean you have to flame the flames by getting involved or letting it get to you.
Mars in Gemini in the 12th House
If you have Cancer rising, Mars in Gemini will be in your 12th house. This will bring extra heat, energy and possibly conflict in the ways you undermine yourself. If you find yourself getting angry or impulsive during this time, either towards yourself and others, try to take a step back. The 12th house can also signify retreats, hospitals and prisons, so if you’re spending time in any of these places for the next month, then be careful with your communication. If you’re angry or frustrated, make sure you take the time to think before you speak.
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On Saturday, August 20, 2022 (or a day earlier or later depending on your location), there is a great Mercury in Virgo election that you can use for a variety of Mercurial purposes, such as:
Detail-oriented work and research
Writing and publishing
Launching a new business (especially one that has to do with communication and writing)
Anything to do with magic and/or the hermetic arts
In particular, this chart would be fantastic for publishing and networking involving writing, as I’ll describe below.
The Chart
This powerful Mercury in Virgo election is on August 20, 2022 and is timed for 8:31 am at my location in Berlin, Germany (Central European Standard Time Zone).
If you need to relocate the chart for your time zone, just make sure the ascendant is between 20 to 23 degrees of Virgo and that the moon is between 9 to 10 degrees of Gemini in the 9th or 10th house (anything less than 9 degrees would put it a little too close to Mars, and anything over 10 degrees would mean its next aspect would be a trine to Saturn, which would slow down the effects).
Although this election could be used for any of the topics I mentioned above, it’s particularly fantastic for publishing, gaining visibility or networking in the publishing/writing field. This is because the moon is in the 9th house, which rules publishing and is very close to the fixed star Aldebaran, a star which is known to bring riches and honors. The moon’s next aspect is a sextile to Venus in Leo in the 11th house, which makes the chart favorable for networking and/or gaining fans, particularly women.
How to use an electional chart
I wrote this text which gives you more details about electional astrology, so check it out if you don’t know what this is or would like to know more.
In a nutshell, you need to do some sort of concrete action at the exact time of the election to set the ball in motion. This could be something like:
Naming and saving a word document you plan to use later to start a project.
Submitting manuscripts, contacting agents, etc.
Sending an e-mail or making a phone call.
Creating a website or social media account linked to your intention.
Taking the first step in a project.
You don’t have to do much more than that at this stage, just make the first move. Whatever you initiate at this moment will hold the energy of the election, allowing you to benefit from it in the long run.
How to use this chart magically
This chart is very potent and can also be used for astrological magic. For this, you create either a petition or a talisman, which allows you to harness this energy for future use. Since Mercury also rules magic, you could use this election to enhance your abilities and gain honors in this field.
Since Saturn will move into Pisces at the beginning of next year (placing it in opposition to Virgo), this will also be one of the last times you can work magically with Mercury in Pisces for a couple of years, so make that talisman now when you still can! If you’re interested in astrological magic and finding out how to use elections to make talismans, check our my Patreon page.
Best of luck in your Mercurial pursuits, whatever they may be!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ageofair.substack.com
On August 1 - 2, 2022 we have a rather explosive combination in the sky: Mars in Taurus conjunct Uranus and Rahu, otherwise known as the North Node.
Uranus is the planet of sudden, erratic changes, both good and bad and Mars is the planet of action, heat and aggression. When they come together, it can definitely bring in a fire to the powder keg kind of energy. For example, sudden accidents, freak explosions or major volatility in anything Taurus rules (food, housing, security in general).
With Rahu in the mix, this energy gets super charged and even more unpredictable and erratic.
However, as hazardous and unstable as this aspect is, there is one saving grace: Venus. Taurus is ruled by Venus, which is currently in watery Cancer. She is also making a harmonious sextile aspect to Mars, Uranus and Rahu, which may help steady things more than if she were in a different sign or joining the Taurus party.
How will this affect me?
If your ascendant is in a fixed sign (Aquarius, Leo, Taurus or Scorpio) or you have any personal planets between 15 to 25 degrees of any of these signs, then I suggest you proceed with caution around this time.
This doesn’t mean you need to cower under the covers, but maybe wait on that skydiving trip until the stars are a little more in your favor.
Astro stats
Mars, Uranus and Rahu (North Node) meeting up at around 18 degrees of Taurus on August 1 and 2, 2022 (this aspect will be felt a few days before and few days after)
The explosive nature is tempered somewhat by Venus, which is currently in Cancer and making a harmonious sextile aspect to these three planets
Photo by Luke Jernejcic on Unsplash
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In this episode, I talk about the the full moon in Capricorn on July 13, 2022 and touch on how it emotionally speaks to the overturning of Roe vs. Wade.
Here are the astro stats for this full moon:
Culmination of the new moon in Cancer on June 29, 2022 (you can find out more about lunar cycles here)
Full moon occurs at 21 degrees 21 of Capricorn
Aspects on this day include a square to Jupiter in Aries and an opposition to Mercury in Cancer
More general thoughts on this particular moon is that it speaks to conflict between putting your higher ideals in action (square to Jupiter in Aries) and could negate more sentimental feelings (opposition to Mercury in Cancer) in favor of a stiff upper lip, I’ll-go-the-road-alone feeling or makes it difficult to voice your needs.
A song for moon in Capricorn
As I mention in the podcast, Saturn-ruled Capricorn is a difficult placement for the moon. The moon is a sensitive, emotional planet that craves connection, but its placement in Capricorn (the sign of its detriment) brings in the harshness of a cruel, lonely world that can sometimes lead to depression and feelings of isolation.
However, with suffering comes maturity. People with Capricorn moon natally often have to grow up fast and may be subjected to the school of emotional hard knocks. But what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger.
Though often tough when you’re young, like anything Saturnian, Capricorn moon gets better with age. At its best, this placement brings maturity and strength others can depend on – from someone whose been through the emotional wringer and come out the other end.
I should know, since my natal moon is in Capricorn. When I was in high school, one of my favorite songs was “I am a rock” by Simon and Garfunkel. The ultimate Capricorn moon song if there ever was one!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ageofair.substack.com
On July 5, 2022 Mars moved from Aries into Taurus and Mercury moved from Gemini into Cancer. Although it is by no means uncommon for planets to change signs – speedster Mercury usually whips through signs in about two weeks – this particular shift has created a significant change in mood that will stick around for a while.
I get into more detail in my podcast, but in a nutshell, here’s what the shift reflects:
Aries (fire) and Gemini (air) are both masculine, outwardly-oriented and quick-paced signs which lead to forward moving speed of action and communication
Taurus (Earth) and Cancer (water) are both feminine, inward and slow signs which lead to nonverbal introspection
Mars rules Aries, which gave the month of June a high energy, pedal to the metal feel. However, in Venus-ruled Taurus (the sign of Mars’ detriment), energy is much more sluggish and focus more on comfort and slow-paced (sometimes stubborn) action
Mercury rules Gemini, which made June a time when communication flowed smoothly and tended towards the more chit chatty and rational. However, in moon-ruled Cancer, words (especially of the small talk variety) may be much harder to come by. This is a time when thoughts and communication take on a still-waters-run-deep vibe, where words may be harder to come by, especially surface chit chat or those that express dry, analytics ideas.
My advice? Take things slower this month. Linger in bed longer if you can, and give yourself space to dream and lose yourself in images and memories you can’t quite capture in words.
Astro stats
Mercury will be in Cancer from July 5 until July 19 and Mars will be in Taurus from July 5 until August 20.
The change in name
As you may have noticed, my podcast is now called Astro WMM, although the substack link has stayed the same.
So why the change in name?
When I first created this newsletter/podcast, I was really excited about the era shift into the new age of air: less centralization of power, a greater focus on innovation and networks/working together rather than rampant individualism.
Sounds great, right?
Yeah, and maybe it will be someday. But right now, I think we’re going through some major growing pains, where many nations are still overly focused on Earth-era principles, strategies and solutions, like “who gets what” and fossil fuels.
The air signs are about ideas and innovation yes, but they can also be about (over)idealism and dogmatism, and we’re definitely seeing some of that as well.
Air disperses and is unreliable, a light gust one day, and a hurricane another. The Earth era may have been dull at times, but at least it was predictable.
Long story short, I’m a bit burned out on the age of air these days. Astro WMM is perhaps a bit inscrutable (I’m not entirely sure what the initials stand for myself), but the name will do for now. :)
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On May 10, 2022 Mercury will go retrograde in Gemini until June 3. As is always the case with Mercury retrograde, this period can cause snafus in communication, (particularly verbal communication since Gemini is an air sign) as well as mishaps in technology, travel and business, which are all things Mercury rules.
Mercury retrograde is not a rare occurrence: in fact, it happens 3 to 4 times a year. These periods are designed to add a re- prefix to your actions. Revise, review, revisit, you name it, whatever topics come up around Mercurial topics in the house in your natal chart with Gemini on the cusp.
However, I think it will be particularly valuable to pay extra special attention to the topics or issues that come up during this Mercury retrograde because Mars will be going retrograde in the same sign in early September.
A much rarer occasion, Mars only goes retrograde about every two years. During this period, it can cause frustration, a feeling like things have come to a standstill or are not moving as quickly as we would like them to move – something that is always frustrating for action-oriented Mars.
Mars will be retrograde in Gemini from September 10, 2022 to January 12, 2023 and in the sign of Gemini from August 24, 2022 to March 25, 2023 – over six months of heat and possibly conflict in the house in your chart with Gemini on the cusp!
This period (and Mars retrograde) may particularly affect you if Gemini is on the cusp on one of your angular houses (1, 4, 7 and 10) or if you have any planets in the mutable signs (Gemini, Pisces, Sagittarius, Virgo).
Another reason why I think this particular Mercury retrograde is important is because it also will retrograde back into Taurus and head towards the North Node, which will bring attention back to whatever topics got triggered during the partial solar eclipse in that sign that happened on April 30, 2022.
Eclipses bring great beginnings and great endings and often bring drama in their wake, and they will be happening in the Taurus (North Node) and Scorpio (South Node) axis in your chart until late summer, 2023.
Since Uranus has also been speeding things up, bringing in the new and disrupting patterns in the house in your chart with Taurus on the cusp since May, 2018 when it entered this sign, Mercury’s return to Taurus may echo new developments as well as give insight for what might be yet to come. It will particularly draw attention to anything that came up from April 26 to April 30 (the day of the eclipse).
In short, your house with Gemini and Taurus on the cusp are going to be getting a big spotlight and some heat and shaking up, so keep that in mind and take notes when Mercury goes retrograde next week until the beginning of June!
Here are the astro stats:
April 30 – Mercury enters Gemini
May 10 – Mercury stations retrograde at 4 degrees 52 of Gemini
May 23 – Mercury retrogrades back into Taurus
June 3 – Mercury stations direct at 26 degrees 05 of Taurus
June 13 – Mercury reenters Gemini and stays in the sign until July 5
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The sun is currently in Aries, its sign of exaltation. An exalted planet is one that is celebrated and treated like an honored guest for its qualities. To understand what this means, imagine an actor from a popular TV series suddenly showing up in your town. People would get excited, rush up and ask for autographs or selfie shots, how great that so-and-so came to our town!
Therefore, the sun in Aries boosts solar principles, such as vitality, charisma, self-confidence, visibility and fame. Like the sun itself, strongly solar people shine bright and draw people to them. They are naturally born leaders who can stand in the spotlight, exuding satisfaction and sovereignty.
Great energy to harness and keep on tap, especially in days where it’s increasingly important to stand out from the crowd. Luckily, you can do just that with this Sun in Aries election.
Sun in Aries election
On Wednesday, March 30, 2022, there is a great exalted sun election that you can use for a variety of solar purposes, such as:
Gaining honors and recognition
Increasing your visibility, e.g. by growing your online presence
Come across as charismatic, in charge and capable
Effectively boost your (self-)promotion
Enhance your vitality and self-confidence
The chart
This Sun in Aries electional chart is timed for March 30, 2022 at 1:03 p.m. for my location in Berlin, Germany and can be used anywhere in the European Union.
Strong in the its sign of exaltation, the Sun is directly on the MC (Mid-heaven), which speaks to gaining recognition, visibility and popularity in your career or the public eye.
In any electional chart, the moon is extremely important because it acts as the intermediary between the celestial realm and the material plane. Without the support of the moon, the election is ultimately ineffective. The moon here is in Pisces in the 9th house and applying to a conjunction with Jupiter, which greatly boosts the good fortune of this election.
Although this chart could be used for many things that fit the aspects I described in the bullet points above, it would be especially auspicious for success in higher learning purposes, for example, to increase your chance of acceptance for a study program, gaining recognition in a spiritual field or publishing (all 9th house matters).
However, one thing is worth mentioning here: In this chart, Mercury is in Aries and also combust (=within eight degrees of the Sun). Since this planet is also directly on the MC, this may result in your gaining a reputation as a person who directly speaks their mind, albeit sometimes to the point of being blunt and brusque and/or blurting things out without thinking first. Great if you’re trying to promote your new maverick podcast, but less ideal in other situations. If you would prefer to avoid this energy, then I suggest using this chart instead:
This chart is also in the hour of the Sun with the Sun in Aries in the 10th, so you still get the benefits of the solar qualities previously mentioned. However, with Neptune and Jupiter on the MC, your image will gain a glamorous, positive allure.
If you need to relocate the chart, here are the times to use (if you’re location is missing from the list, just ask and I’ll look it up for you :) ) As is always the case with electional charts, it might not work everywhere and/or will change the date and time depending on your location:
Europe
Central European Standard Time: March 30, 2022 at 13:03 p.m. (Sun on MC), 12:12 p.m. (Neptune/Jupiter on MC)
Greenwich Mean Time (UK): March 30, 2022 at 12:53 p.m. (Sun on MC), 12:08 p.m. (Neptune/Jupiter on MC)
USA/Canada
Eastern Time Zone: March 30, 2022 at 12:53 p.m. (Sun on MC), 12:08 p.m. (Neptune/Jupiter on MC). The moon is conjunct Jupiter here, but it hasn’t separated yet, so the election should still work.
Central Time Zone: Unfortunately this chart doesn’t work because the moon has passed Jupiter.
Mountain Time Zone: Unfortunately this chart doesn’t work because the moon has passed Jupiter.
Pacific Time Zone: Unfortunately this chart doesn’t work because the moon has passed Jupiter.
Hong Kong
March 30, 2022 at 12:23 p.m. (Sun on MC), 11:29 a.m. (Neptune/Jupiter on MC).
How to use an electional chart
I wrote this text which gives you more details about electional astrology, so check it out if you don’t know what this is or would like to know more.
In a nutshell, you need to do some sort of concrete action at the time of the election to set the ball in motion. This could be something like:
Naming and saving a word document you plan to use later.
Signing up for a class/course.
Sending an e-mail or making a phone call.
Creating a website or social media account linked to your intention.
You don’t have to do much more than that at this stage, just make the first move. Whatever you initiate at this moment will hold the energy of the election, allowing you to benefit from it in the long run.
How to use this chart magically
This chart is very potent and can also be used for astrological magic. For this, you create either a petition or a talisman, which allows you to harness this energy for future use. To do so, you need to perform a ritual as described in the Picatrix, a 10th century book on astrological magic.
Here’s how to do so (n.b. some of this is my own way of doing things combined with what it says in the Picatrix, which is fairly barebones):
Shortly before the election, light a candle and some incense or plant material that corresponds to the Sun, such as rosemary, orange/citrus in general, basil, cinnamon, St. John’s Wort, or frankincense.
Close your eyes and focus on your breath. Imagine your body being surrounded by the color gold. Breath. Now imagine gold is coming up through the ground and coating your bones. Once all your bones have been covered, imagine the bright, warm sum floating above your head. Now imagine his symbol in your heart. It looks like this.*
Open your eyes and recite the Orphic hymn to the Sun, which is below:
Hear, golden Titan, whose eternal eye
With matchless sight illumines all the sky.
Native, unwearied in diffusing light,
And to all eyes the object of delight:
Lord of the Seasons, beaming light from far,
Sonorous, dancing in thy four-yok'd car.
With thy right hand the source of morning light,
And with thy left the father of the night.
Agile and vig'rous, venerable Sun,
Fiery and bright around the heav'ns you run,
Foe to the wicked, but the good man's guide,
O'er all his steps propitious you preside.
With various-sounding golden lyre 'tis thine
To fill the world with harmony divine.
Father of ages, guide of prosp'rous deeds,
The world's commander, borne by lucid steeds.
Immortal Jove, flute-playing, bearing light,
Source of existence, pure and fiery bright;
Bearer of fruit, almighty lord of years,
Agile and warm, whom ev'ry power reveres.
Bright eye, that round the world incessant flies,
Doom'd with fair fulgid rays to set and rise;
Dispensing justice, lover of the stream,
The world's great master, and o'er all supreme.
Faithful defender, and the eye of right,
Of steeds the ruler, and of life the light:
With sounding whip four fiery steeds you guide,
When in the glittering car of day you ride,
Propitious on these mystic labours shine,
And bless thy suppliants with a life divine.
Now it’s time to create the talisman or petition. To do so, either imagine the following (for a petition), draw it on a piece of paper imbued with Solar herbs (list above) or carve/scratch it on a garnet, ruby, carnelian, amber, gold or brass, all of which have a Solar nature.
The image you need to use for the drawing/carving:
A man standing as though wanting to salute, holding in his left hand a round shield and under his feet the image of a dragon. You also need to add the seal of the Sun, which looks like this:
If you’re not much of an artist, don’t worry (I can’t draw at all). It’s totally fine if you just draw stick figures and a wonky looking dragon. It’s the intention behind creating the image that matters, not the aesthetic results.
Once you’ve finished your drawing or carving, pull the talisman or paper through the incense smoke several times and state your intention, e.g. Please help me, John Doe, to get a promotion, get accepted to Harvard, gain more visibility and followers for my Instagram account, increase my self-confidence, regain my vitality.
You can be as specific or general as you want, but make sure what you’re asking is something the Sun can actually deliver according to his nature. Once you’ve finished, you can lay the talisman/paper down next to the candle and leave it there at least until the incense has burned down.
Please note:
The timing for the ritual from start to finish is crucial. Here are the windows you can use for each of the time zones listed above (in a few cases, the times are slightly earlier to leave room for the beginning of the ritual):
Europe
Central European Standard Time: March 30, 2022 from 12:08 p.m. to 1:08 p.m.
Greenwich Mean Time (UK): March 30, 2022 at 12:03 a.m. to 13:03
USA/Canada
Eastern Time Zone: March 30, 2022 from 11:59 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Hong Kong
March 30, 2022 from 11:28 a.m. to 12:28 p.m.
Luckily the length is good for these elections, so you should have plenty of time. Remember, the earlier you start, the more you’ll have the softer, dreamy Jupiter/Neptune influence.
A few final thoughts
I’ve been practicing astrological magic for around three years now and I’ve had some really great results. What I especially like about it is that it is strict and particular in that you have to wait for a great election like this one for it to work, and you have to use materials that correspond to the Sun and an image as specified in the Picatrix, but other than that, the rituals are fairly simple and straightforward.
That said, your ritual in of itself can be an artistic act, and I have noticed that when I put in more effort, I sometimes get stronger results. Some ideas in this case would be to:
Create a small altar for the Sun using e.g. the Sun’s magic square, seal, and the other symbols you can find here. Again, you could simply print this sheet out, draw it on a yellow, red or gold (the Sun’s colors) or etch on glass, whatever. It’s totally up to you.
Dress in yellow, red or gold and perhaps add some rosemary sprigs to the altar or camomile flowers (another solar herb).
Incorporate the number six into your altar, which is the Sun’s number (e.g. six pieces of amber, six gold coins, etc.)
Do the ritual outside in the sunlight.
Again, none of this is necessary, but it can make things fun and help the energy attune even more to the nature of the Sun.
I’ve created solar talismans in the past and found them excellent for seeing things more clearly and having more energy, which is also something you could ask for.
If you do end up using the election or making a talisman, feel free to share your story below!
*Thanks to Austin Coppock for suggesting this small meditation to tune into Saturn’s planetary energy!
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Next week, Mercury in Pisces will conjunct Jupiter and Neptune, a transit I’m calling “A time to dream – with a word of caution.”
In traditional astrology, Mercury is said to be in its sign of detriment and fall in Pisces – a sign traditionally ruled by Jupiter – which makes it the most challenging placement for this planet.
Mercury is the intellect, curiosity, communication, that which seeks to understand the world through analysis and rational thinking. It is a planet that loves memorization and lists. The planet of youth, it can signify the schooling we receive as children and adolescents.
Jupiter, on the other hand, is expansion, buoyant optimism, that which seeks to understand the world with intuition, faith and big picture thinking. While Mercury lives for details and the specific, Jupiter prefers the general and universal. He stands for higher truth and higher education and that which is innately known.
Mercury seeks to measure, categorize, analyze, and place knowledge into boxes, which is not the type of activities Pisces supports. When Mercury is in Pisces, the intellect can become overwhelmed with the oceanic vastness of Jupiter’s expansiveness, which can lead to issues with communication, among other things.
However, this placement is great for dreams, music and poetry, for understanding and communicating that which is beyond words. For example, the poets Maya Angelou and Amanda Gorman both have Mercury in Pisces in their natal chart. Although they illustrate the power of this placement in their work, they also both struggled with communication issues as children.
The Mercury transits ahead
Here are the stats:
Mercury ingresses into Pisces on March 9/10, 2022
Mercury conjuncts Jupiter on March 20/21, 2022
Mercury conjuncts Neptune on March 23, 2022
What these transits are great for
Since this is a whole lot of Jupiterian energy, let’s talk about the positive sides first:
These transits will enhance your ability to slip into the world of dreams, write otherworldly poetry, compose songs that speak to the soul and have mystical and spiritual experience that are beyond anything you’ve ever experienced before. This is perhaps especially true when Mercury meets up with Neptune, which is the dissolver of boundaries.
The motto for the week should therefore be mehr Hingabe, which is German for more surrender, giving yourself over to the poetic power of this energy .
Photo by Fernando Jorge on Unsplash
Bathe more often, go to the spa, spend a week by the sea. Mediate, focus on your spiritual practice and allow your thoughts to wander. If you surrender to the positive sides of this energy, it could be truly mind blowing.
What you need to watch out for
Now let’s move on to the negative sides of these transits, and there definitely are some to keep in mind.
In general, when Mercury is in Pisces you may find yourself more forgetful and scattered, and more at a loss for words than usual, and these transits will heighten such tendencies. Therefore, this week it will likely be harder to complete and concentrate on mundane or super-detailed/analytical tasks. These combinations are great for reaching higher plains and grasping philosophical truths, but they aren’t so great for day-to-day stuff, like finishing a boring report at work, remembering to do your taxes or running errands.
These transits are very much about turning off the logical, rational mind, which can be positive, but it also holds an inherent danger.
Next week, more than ever, you have to be extra mindful of misinformation, especially anything that seems too good to be true. Jupiter has a tendency to gloss over (sometimes important) details in favor of wearing those rose-colored glasses and Neptune is also the planet of illusion, which means these transits combination can definitely lead to unclear or even delusional thinking.
Although this combination is fantastic for spiritual experience, it also could make people more susceptible to falling into cults, so if you come into contact with a person, group or philosophy at this time that insists you have to turn off your mind and abandon any type of critical thinking, run the other way. Faith can be a beautiful thing, but it should never be blind faith that forbids you to question things.
What these transits mean for you
To find out what kinds of topics these transits might bring up for you, take a look at the house in your chart with Pisces on the cusp.
In general, this transit might leave you feeling disoriented and ungrounded and at a loss for words at times, which may be especially challenging if you are more of a left-brained, logical person.
If this is the case, try to let go and just enjoy the dreamy Pisces wave for the time being without losing your head in the process.
On March 26/27, Mercury will move into Aries, a sign where it is much more assertive, blunt, quick and to the point.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ageofair.substack.com
On March 11, 2022 Venus will enter into what is called besiegement in traditional astrology. Besiegement means “hemmed up or surrounded by hostile forces,” and in this case the hostile forces are the traditional malefic planets Mars and Saturn.
Venus is the planet of harmony, relating, bringing things together and keeping the peace, all of which will be difficult to do when she finds herself besieged.
The dance of Venus and Mars
In this episode, I talked about Venus entering the underworld when she conjuncted Pluto on December 11. This aspect happened again on December 25, when she was retrograde. The third and final meet up with Pluto happened on March 3, when Mars also crashed onto the scene. All three planets entered into an exact conjunction on this day at around 28 degrees of Capricorn.
Although what comes up for you during this period may echo those Venus Pluto aspects on December 11 and 25, Mars – which is extremely strong at 28 degrees of Capricorn, which is both its sign and degree of exaltation – starts steering things in a different direction.
As I mentioned above, Venus harmonizes, mediates and brings things and people together, while Mars causes strife, cuts and tears tears things apart. And they will be “dancing” together in the same degrees for a while, first in Capricorn starting on March 3, then in Aquarius on March 6, where they remain tightly conjunct until around March 11.
Its rare for these two planets to stay so closely together for this long. In some ways it is a positive aspect because Venus can help temper Mars and hopefully prevent some of his worst sides – such as hostility, aggression and violence – from spiralling out of control.
However, this is by no means a pleasant job for Venus – and Venus prefers enjoying herself. And alas, things get worse for her when she enters into besiegement.
Venus between a rock and a hard place
On the 10/11 of March, Venus enters into besiegement, a condition that is well described by the saying “between a rock and a hard place.”
Poor Venus just wants everyone to get along and restore a sense of balance, but she has volatile Mars at her back and grim Saturn before her.
Saturn is strong here because he is in a sign he traditionally rules (Aquarius) and is also the dispositor of both Venus and Mars, which definitely means he has the upper hand.
Photo by Khashayar Kouchpeydeh on Unsplash
Venus stuck between these two is a bit like someone caught between balancing the demands, negations and inflexibility of a boss (Saturn) and the angry impatience of other people on their team who want to charge ahead (Mars). A frustrating place to be, to say the least, and one that she doesn’t have much power to mollify or resolve.
As is always the case, this energy will be showing up on the collective as well as our personal lives. For a better idea how it might play out in your own life, check out the house in your chart with Aquarius on the cusp.
If you do feel stuck and frustrated, wait for March 19 when Venus makes a square to Uranus in Taurus, as this might bring in a Eureka moment that helps you gain better insight about how to proceed.
Venus headed towards oceanic glory
This besiegement, and the frustration and powerlessness it brings in the realms of peace, harmony and relationships, will start to ease after March 28, when Venus conjuncts Saturn and is no longer sandwiched between these planets.
Things will get even better when she moves into the watery depths of Pisces, her sign of exaltation, in April – so stay tuned!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ageofair.substack.com
On March 2, 2022 we will have a new moon in Pisces which will culminate in a full moon in Virgo on 17/18, 2022, depending on where you live in the world. As I wrote in this post, a new moon is always the time when seeds are planted, which bear their fruits at the full moon roughly two weeks later.
The new moon is brought to you by Jupiter
As I’ve mentioned many times here at Age of Air, we have been dealing with a whole lot of Saturn for years now – or at least since 2020, and doesn’t the carefree feeling of the years prior to 2020 almost feel like a dream at this point?
This Saturnian vibe was also amped up in January, when both Venus and Mercury went retrograde in the Saturnian sign of Capricorn, which brought up echoes from the early days of the pandemic, since they were very much tied to this particular sign. February continued the Saturn party by bringing us plenty of Aquarius, a sign Saturn traditionally rules.
Although Saturn is at his best and most constructive in Aquarius – the only sign where he’s even stronger is Libra, the sign of his exaltation – Saturnian energy, by its very nature, is heavy, somber and slow.
That one’s of the reasons it’s great that Jupiter finally gets his chance to come to the fore.
While Saturn stands for things like careful structures, caution, shrewd thinking, discipline, limitations, blocks and restrictions and that which needs time to develop, Jupiter stands for things like blessings, good luck, higher knowledge, grace and wealth both spiritual and material.
Jupiter moved into Pisces on December 29, 2021. Strong in Pisces, a sign he traditionally rules, he’s finally in a position to help us out and bring expansion, optimism and good fortune back into our lives, daring us to dream big. Saturn continued to take the center stage during the first two months of 2022, but this March lunar cycle is the welcome entrance of Jupiter and, ultimately, a renewed sense of hope for the future.
Photo by Johannes Plenio on Unsplash
The lunar cycle astro stats
Whatever aspects are in the sky during a new moon/full moon help paint a picture of what each lunar cycle has to offer. For the new moon on March 2, the stats are as follows:
Sun conjunct Moon (New Moon) at 12 degree 07 of Pisces
Sun in Pisces sextile Uranus in Taurus
Mercury conjunct Saturn in Aquarius
Moon conjunct Jupiter in Pisces
The seeds this new moon plants are an openness to change and thinking outside the box (Sun sextile Uranus) and the potential for a growing sense of optimism and grace (Moon conjunct Jupiter), particularly that which is focused inward and/or spiritual in nature.
However, there is still a somber tone here that calls us to keep our thoughts on serious matters and continue to consider the importance of long-term thinking (Mercury conjunct Saturn).
For the full moon on March 17/18, the important aspects are:
Sun in Pisces in opposition to the Moon in Virgo at 27 degrees 40
Moon in opposition to Jupiter in Pisces (this happens over 12 hours before the full moon, but it is still important in my opinion)
Moon in opposition to Neptune in Pisces
My thoughts on this full moon is that it really speaks to the tension between the universal and the particular.
Jupiter is very much about big picture thinking and the power of belief, while Neptune is about dissolving borders and boundaries in both a positive sense (e.g. dreams, glamor and creativity) and a negative sense (e.g. addiction, delusion, and even madness).
On the other hand, Mercury-ruled Virgo is all about details, in-depth analysis and research and making sure you always dot your “I”s and cross your “t”s.
Personally, I’m glad this balance is baked into this full moon because it helps keep the Jupiter/Neptune oceanic boundlessness in check: Dare to dream and surrender to spiritual pursuits, yes, but make sure you still keep your feet on the ground is how I’d sum up this particular lunar cycle. This is especially an important lesson to keep in mind when Jupiter and Neptune meet up in a conjunction next month
As always, this lunar cycle will have an impact both collectively and personally, although how much it actually affects you will depend on where the new moon and full moon fall in your natal chart. Since the new moon will be directly conjunct my ascendant ruler and the full moon will be in my first house, I will be personally quite tied into this particular lunar cycle, and will let you know if anything interesting comes up for me.
Please feel free to share your own thoughts and experiences as well!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ageofair.substack.com
Saturn is a planet that gets a bad rap in astrology. Sure, he’s the planet that rules things like restrictions, suffering, old age and even death itself – in other words, the stuff none of us really like to face. However, Saturn also stands for positive things, like discipline, mastery, commitment, those things that age well and stand the test of time.
Saturnian energy is what allows us to put our nose to the grindstone and do the hard work and and spend the time necessary to truly master a subject. Discipline and structure may not always make for fun times, but they are most definitely an important part of life, and they are what Saturn provides.
Whenever I think about what Saturn can teach in a positive sense, I always inevitably think about the “wax on, wax off” scene in the Karate Kid. If you’re not a GenXer like me and you’ve never seen this movie, here’s a little summary:
The new kid in town, Daniel, is getting bullied and beat up by some macho karate boys (if I remember right, they also steal his BMX, a mortal sin in the 80s if there ever was one!). To defend himself, he wants to learn karate himself and starts learning with Mr. Miyagi, a Japanese gardener.
Before they start in on the lessons, Mr. Miyagi has Daniel wax all of his old cars in a “wax on, wax off” circular motion, then he has him sand the floors, paint the house and paint the fence. After a few days of doing this, Daniel starts to get pissed off. His shoulder hurts, this is no fun and what does it have to do with karate anyway?
Here’s is Mr. Miyagi’s answer.
To me, this is the beauty of Saturn. It’s not about cutting corners or instant success, it’s about committing to the long-haul, about taking the time to build up something strong and solid, not a rushed, fly by night plan that falls apart in the end. Some of the work is unpleasant, tedious or boring, like practicing scales if you’re a musician, but it pays off in the end.
This weekend, we get a chance to tap into and harness this positive side of Saturn and bring it into our lives in a more direct way. Here’s what you need to know.
Saturn in Aquarius election
On Sunday, February 20, 2022 (or Saturday, February 19 depending on your location), there is a great Saturn election that you can use for a variety of Saturnian purposes, such as:
Making long-term commitments
Gaining respect and mastery
Creating new, lasting structures in your life
Improving discipline and endurance
Working on building something in a slow, steady and effective manner
Anything involving buildings or real estate, which is something Saturn rules
Again, this is not the energy to use for overnight results, but rather those types of pursuits where you need and are willing to put in the hard work (a very Saturnian principle!) to elevate your status and authority in the long run.
The chart
This Saturn in Aquarius electional chart is timed for February 20, 2022 at 11:13 a.m. for my location in Berlin, Germany and can be used anywhere in the European Union.
Strong in the sign it traditionally rules, Saturn is directly on the MC (Mid-heaven), which speaks to slowly and steadily gaining in authority in your career or the public eye. The moon is in the 5th house in Libra and is applying to a harmonious trine to Saturn.
In any electional chart, the moon is extremely important because it acts as the intermediary between the celestial realm and the material plane. Without the support of the moon, the election is ineffective. Since Libra is the sign of Saturn’s exaltation and the aspect is applying (i.e. the moon is heading toward completing a trine with Saturn), this chart has the juice to harness this positive Saturnian energy in the ways I described above.
Although this chart could be used for many things that fit the aspects I described in the bullet points above, I especially like it for committing to a creative or literary pursuit (a mix of the 5th house and Mercury in the 9th), which is how I’ll be using it.
If you need to relocate the chart, here are the times to use (if you’re location is missing from the list, just ask and I’ll look it up for you :) ) As is always the case with electional charts, it might not work everywhere and/or will change the date and time depending on your location:
Europe
Central European Standard Time: February 20, 2022 at 11:13 a.m.
Greenwich Mean Time (UK): February 20, 2022 at 11:00 a.m.
USA/Canada
Eastern Time Zone: Unfortunately, this chart doesn’t work as well in this time zone, because the moon is out of orb. The election may still work, but it won’t be as potent. If you’d still like to give it a try, you need to do it one day earlier on February 19 at 11:18 a.m.
Central Time Zone: February 19 at 11:10 a.m.
Mountain Time Zone: February 19 at 11:21 a.m.
Pacific Time Zone: February 19 at 11:25 a.m.
How to use an electional chart
I wrote this text which gives you more details about electional astrology, so check it out if you don’t know what this is or would like to know more.
In a nutshell, you need to do some sort of concrete action at the time of the election to set the ball in motion. This could be something like:
Naming and saving a word document you plan to use later.
Signing up for a class.
Sending an e-mail or making a phone call.
Creating a website linked to your intention.
You don’t have to do much more than that at this stage, just make the first move. Whatever you initiate at this moment will hold the energy of the election, allowing you to benefit from it in the long run.
How to use this chart magically
This chart is very potent and can also be used for astrological magic. For this, you create either a petition or a talisman, which allows you to harness this energy for future use. To do so, you need to perform a ritual as described in the Picatrix, a 10th century book on astrological magic.
Here’s how to do so (n.b. some of this is my own way of doing things combined with what it says in the Picatrix, which is fairly barebones):
Shortly before the election, light a candle and some incense or plant material that corresponds to Saturn, such as poppy, pine, storax, fern, cumin, hemp or frankincense.
Close your eyes and focus on your breath. Imagine your body being surrounded by the color black. Breath. Now imagine lead is coming up through the ground and coating your bones. Once all your bones have been covered, imagine the planet Saturn floating above your head. Now imagine his symbol in your heart. It looks like this.*
Open your eyes and recite the Orphic hymn to Saturn, which is below:
ETHERIAL father, mighty Titan, hear,
Great fire of Gods and men, whom all revere:
Endu'd with various council, pure and strong,
To whom perfection and decrease belong.
Consum'd by thee all forms that hourly die,
By thee restor'd, their former place supply;
The world immense in everlasting chains,
Strong and ineffable thy pow'r contains
Father of vast eternity, divine,
O mighty Saturn, various speech is thine:
Blossom of earth and of the starry skies,
Husband of Rhea, and Prometheus wife.
Obstetric Nature, venerable root,
From which the various forms of being shoot;
No parts peculiar can thy pow'r enclose,
Diffus'd thro' all, from which the world arose,
O, best of beings, of a subtle mind,
Propitious hear to holy pray'rs inclin'd;
The sacred rites benevolent attend,
And grant a blameless life, a blessed end.
Now it’s time to create the talisman or petition. To do so, either imagine the following (for a petition), draw it on a piece of paper imbued with Saturnian herbs (list above) or carve/scratch it on onyx, jet, dark lapis lazuli, blue sapphire, black leather or bone, all of which have a Saturnian nature.
The image you need to use for the drawing/carving:
A man standing on a dragon holding a scythe in his right hand and a spear in his left, dressed in black or tawny clothes. You also need to add the seal of Saturn, which looks like this:
If you’re not much of an artist, don’t worry (I can’t draw at all). It’s totally fine if you just draw stick figures and a wonky looking dragon. It’s the intention behind creating the image that matters, not the aesthetic results.
Once you’ve finished your drawing or carving, pull the talisman or paper through the incense smoke several times and state your intention, e.g. Please help me, John Doe, to have more discipline (in my creative pursuits, studies, etc.), to gain the mastery needed to write my novel, to gain in authority, etc.
You can be as specific or general as you want, but make sure what you’re asking is something Saturn can actually deliver according to his nature. In other words, don’t ask for help with your love life or overnight success as an influencer and so forth, because Saturn has very little to do with love (except perhaps commitment) and his energy is slow and methodical, more the somber master or elder statesman rather than the early shooting star.
Once you’ve finished, you can lay the talisman/paper down next to the candle and leave it there at least until the incense has burned down.
Please note:
The timing for the ritual from start to finish is crucial. Here are the windows you can use for each of the time zones listed above (in a few cases, the times are slightly earlier to leave room for the beginning of the ritual):
Europe
Central European Standard Time: February 20, 2022 from 11:06 a.m. to 11:20 a.m.
Greenwich Mean Time (UK): February 20, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. to 11:17
USA/Canada
Eastern Time Zone: February 19 from 11:00 a.m. to 11:18 a.m. (not as strong and more suitable to a paper talisman).
Central Time Zone: February 19 from 10:50 a.m. to 11:10 a.m.
Mountain Time Zone: February 19 from 11:05 to 11:21 a.m.
Pacific Time Zone: February 19 from 11:10 a.m. to 11:25 a.m.
If you end up going over a little bit, it’s not the end of the world, but you should definitely have the basic carving or drawing finished before this time.
A few final thoughts
I’ve been practicing astrological magic for around three years now and I’ve had some really great results. What I especially like about it is that it is strict and particular in that you have to wait for a great election like this one for it to work, and you have to use materials that correspond to Saturn and an image as specified in the Picatrix, but other than that, the rituals are fairly simple and straightforward.
That said, your ritual in of itself can be an artistic act, and I have noticed that when I put in more effort, I sometimes get stronger results. Some ideas in this case would be to:
Create a small altar for Saturn using e.g. Saturn’s magic square, seal, and the other symbols you can find here. Again, you could simply print this sheet out, draw it on a black cloth (Saturn’s color) or etch on glass, whatever. It’s totally up to you.
Dress in black and perhaps add some poppies to the altar or the branch of a pine tree.
Incorporate the number three into your altar, which is Saturn’s number (e.g. three candles, three bones, three dark stones, etc.)
Do the ritual in a graveyard.
Again, none of this is necessary, but it can make things fun and help the energy attune even more to the nature of Saturn.
I’ve created Saturn talismans in the past and found them excellent for better focusing and concentrating on something for long periods of time, especially when alone, so that’s another thing your talisman might bring to you or that you could ask for.
If you do end up using the election or making a talisman, feel free to share your story below!
*Thanks to Austin Coppock for suggesting this small meditation to tune into Saturn’s planetary energy!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ageofair.substack.com
On January 11, 2022 Mercury will make an exact conjunction with Pluto at around 26 degrees of Capricorn and stay close to the planet for several days before and after.
Since Mercury just recently finished a retrograde cycle, this is the third time it will meet up with Pluto in Capricorn. The first time was on December 30, 2021, then again on January 30 when Mercury was retrograde, and now for the third time on February 11.
Mercury conjunct Pluto can be great for:
delving deeply into topics
investigative research
facing deeply seated emotional issues
exploring intense, dark or taboo subjects
engaging in ancestral work
Pluto intensifies whatever it touches, and and this case, it’s the intellect (Mercury). Although this can be used positively as listed above, you also need to watch out for overly obsessive thinking and paranoia with this combination.
To better understand how the energy might show up in your own life, look at the house with Capricorn on the cusp and think about the dates when this aspect became exact in the past six weeks or so. What types of topics came up and what were you called to reexamine or revisit?
Here are a few other ideas for how to lean into this energy in positive ways.
Working with the dead
One thing this particular aspect really speaks to is “working with the dead.” Capricorn is the sign of graveyards and its ruler, Saturn, is the lord of death. Pluto is literally the god of the underworld and Mercury is a psychopomp who leads newly departed souls to the afterlife, a god who can freely move between worlds.
Because of this, the energy from now until around February 16 (my birthday!) when Mercury moves back into Aquarius would be great for anything from delving deeper into genealogy and family history, bringing fresh flowers to the grave of a loved one, setting up an altar to your ancestors or simply taking a stroll through a graveyard, like this lovely one near my apartment.
If you’d like to go even deeper into ancestral work and healing, I highly suggest working with Daniel Foor’s book Ancestral Medicine: Rituals for Personal and Family Healing.
Shamanic Journeying: How to visit the lower world
As I mentioned in the podcast, my mother taught me how do shamanic journeying in my 20s and I’ve found it very useful for working on emotional, creative and spiritual topics or issues. Since its all about moving between worlds (and in this case, the “lower” or underworld), giving it a try also nicely ties in with this Mercury conjunct Pluto energy.
Shamanism splits the world into three:
the lower world, which is the world of ancestors and animal and other spirits
the middle world, which is the spirit dimension of our world
the upper world, which is the dimension of ethereal and celestial beings
Today we’re going to talk about visiting the lower world, which is the one I’ve personally found the most helpful. Here’s the basics on how to get there.
To visit the lower world:
lie down somewhere comfortable and close your eyes. Focus on your breath and relax for a minute or two.
When you’re ready, imagine a very large tree. It can be a tree you’ve seen in pictures, one you simply imagine or even that tall Elm tree in your backyard with a rope swing hanging from its branches.
Walk towards the tree. Near its roots, you find a hole. Go down that hole under the ground. Once you reach the other side, enter into the new space. Perhaps you’ve found yourself in a jungle with monkeys swinging from the branches, or a desert vista with a hawk soaring high above or an ocean shore where a seal and its mother frolic in the waves.
Perhaps you don’t see much of anything, just a few shadows or the feeling that you’re in a different space. That’s also ok.
Take note of any animals or creatures you might see, but know that you do not need to interact with them unless you want to.
Explore as long as you like. When you feel ready, go back up the hole the same way and reenter the “real” world.
So that’s about it for how to enter the lower world. If you found it difficult or nothing much happened, that’s totally normal. Although some people find it more easy than other, it is something that takes practice for everyone.
Another tip: If imagining a tree is not your not your cup of tea, you can imagine any other opening leading under ground, like a cellar door, stairs down to the subway or even a rabbit hole a la Alice in Wonderland. It may also be helpful to listen to drumming like this one (the fast drumming at the end means its time to go back up the hole):
If you feel like sharing your experience, please feel free to do so. If you stick with it, you’ll see there are worlds upon worlds down there, in the rich and sometimes eerie place where dreams and stories come from.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ageofair.substack.com
On January 8/9, Venus Retrograde in Capricorn will be conjunct the Sun. In traditional astrology, this is called Cazimi, or being in the “heart of the Sun”. When a planet is Cazimi, it is placed in a spotlight and allowed to express what it wants before moving on to enter a new phase in its cycle.
The Venus Synodic Cycle
To understand what this means in a deeper way, it’s important to touch briefly on the Venus synodic cycle.
In literal terms, a synodic cycle is the amount of time it takes for a planet to return to the sun as seen from Earth. In Venus’s case, this begins with what is called the “superior conjunction” when she is direct. At this time, she disappears under the sun’s beams and reemerges as the evening star, which starts a new synodic cycle.
Halfway through this cycle, Venus makes what is called the “inferior conjunction” when she is retrograde. Like before, she first disappears under the sun’s beams and reemerges as the morning star. The Cazimi this weekend also marks the mid-way point in her retrograde cycle.
After this point, she continues on until the next superior conjunction, when a new cycle begins. In total, each Venus synodic cycle takes 584 days.
In figurative terms, synodic cycles represent the life and death of a planet and what is stands for.
When Venus enters the sun’s beams before the superior conjunction (the last one happened on March 26, 2021 in Aries), she’s worn out and spent. Rejoining the sun, she is “burnt up” by his rays which is a death of sorts, but also a purification.
When she reemerges as the evening star, she is Venus at her happiest: reborn, fresh, dewy eyed and young and ready to embark on a new cycle which calls us to explore new terrain around Venusian topics, like relationships, desires, beauty, sexuality, joy, women, creativity and so on.
By the time she comes to the inferior conjunction, she’s already done stuff and had her experiences. Think of her as someone who’s finished school and they’re ready to start a new chapter in their lives as a mature adult, but first they have to reexamine and revisit those Venusian topics I just mentioned.
Do they still want what they wanted at the beginning, or do adjustments and changes need to be made?
At the end of January, Venus will reemerge as the morning star.
What this means for you
Since this Venus Retrograde Sun Cazimi is taking place in Capricorn, you should look at the house in your chart with this sign on the cusp to better understand what this particular aspects means for you. You can check out this post here where I go through the houses and what Venus Retrograde might mean in each one of them.
If you’d like to deep dive and connect with this energy even more, you can also do the planetary attunement work I suggest here.
Most likely you already know what topics are coming up for you – I know I do – but if not, this Cazimi might be a Eureka moment where things become clearer and you get a better sense for what to do and where things are headed.
Even if that’s not the case, sit tight, keep on exploring whatever comes up, and get ready for Venus’ reemergence as the morning star at the end of the month.
While Venus shows her more yin, harmonious qualities as the evening star, when she becomes the morning star, her energy is yang and much more assertive – a true action-oriented warrior goddess or, in more modern terms, a bad-ass girl boss.
Photo by Daria Sheveleva on Unsplash
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ageofair.substack.com
Happy New Year! I wish you all a wonderful start into 2022 and look forward to exploring astrology, magic and tarot with you in the months to come.
To kick off the year, I thought I’d post another Guess the Writer Natal Chart Guessing Game. I’m going through the chart of someone here who was “born to be famous” in many ways, but who also struggled with depression and mental illness at times.
Here are the astro stats:
Ascendant at 10 degree 28 of Gemini and the ascendant ruler Mercury at 18 degrees 03 Aquarius in the 9th house
Ascendant directly on the fixed star Aldebaran and the Sun directly on the MC at 5 degrees 29 of Aquarius
Mercury square Neptune in the 12th, which gave this person a dreamy, poetic quality to their writing, but also memory and delusional problems at times
Moon in Aries at the end of the 11th house square Venus and conjunct Saturn
Have fun guessing and have a great week!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ageofair.substack.com
On December 24, 2021, Christmas Eve, we will experience the third and final exact square between Saturn and Uranus. The planets made an exact square for the first time on February 7 and again on around June 12 because Saturn went retrograde.
When an aspect perfects like this, the energy is intensified, but really we’ve been feeling the energy all year both in our personal lives and the collective, this tension between authoritarianism and protest, blocks and limitations and the intense urge to break them down and get things moving, the urge to stick with the tried and true and traditional as opposed to the drive for revolutionary innovation and breakthrough, those who seek to create long lasting structures that are slow to build while the other camp call for their destruction – they’d prefer chaos to the slow march of progressive Aquarian humanitarianism.
This aspect has also been linked with the pandemic, and whenever it goes exact, we’ve seen major spikes in Covid cases slightly after. With Omnicron variant on the loose, perhaps its not surprising that we get the final square on a day when people are more likely to gather in larger groups.
In 2022, the square between Saturn and Uranus stays close, but it never goes exact again, which suggests we will see at least a slight easing up of that which it signifies. Jupiter is also finally moving out of a Saturn-ruled sign into Pisces, a sign that it rules, on December 30, which should bring some extra bubbles to your champagne and a renewed sense of optimism we haven’t felt in far too long.
To finish off the year, as well as say goodbye to this aspect, or at least to the intensity when it goes exact, I thought I’d write another little poem, so here goes.
Saturn square Uranus: the poem!
Stalwart Saturn, rigid and unyielding, whose word is law. Each vertebra in in his spine a decree: Let it be so! We will build it over time.
But Uranus?
Uranus is the shock you get from a metal doorknob when you shuffle your feet across a carpeted room, a sudden jolt that cannot be ignored, the tip of a lightening bolt plummeting from the heavens to strike and sear the ground.
Saturn square Uranus is a horde of rebels besieging unexpectedly the castle of a tyrant so cold he swallowed his own children whole. What the rebels seek is liberty and freedom.
Or:
Saturn square Uranus is the elder statesman, slow in speech and gait, an architect who would build good things at a snail’s pace, solid structures designed to endure.
But an angry mob seeks to beat down his door. Will they burn down the house with everyone inside, including themselves?
Yes.
In their eyes, what is must be destroyed.
Or:
Saturn square Uranus is a frenzied pressure, the desire to break down walls, both internal and external, and finally start moving forward, our bodies sore from constant constraint.
It’s the authoritarian father, lecturing from behind the Christmas ham: Life is thus, and therefore.
Wise? Perhaps. But also unwilling to compromise.
But Uranus is there too, his mohawk magnificently blue, ready to upend the table and light his farts on fire – if you dare him to do.
The Astrology of 2022
If you’d like a sneak peek into the astrology of 2022, I highly suggest this video put out by the Astrology Podcast.
As I mentioned in my podcast, it’s a good idea to split the video up into section rather than take in all at once. You can also find an audio-only version on Spotify or other streaming services.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ageofair.substack.com
On December 18/19 we will have a full moon in Gemini which I’ve dubbed “a friendly farewell and an optimistic hello.” I’ve chosen this name because, at 28 degrees of Aquarius, Jupiter is making a lovely trine to both the sun and the moon.
A trine is a flowing, harmonious aspect, and Jupiter is the planet that stands for optimism, vision, seeing a way forward, expansion and growth. With this trine, Jupiter is saying a friendly hello, as if to remind us he’s about to leave Saturn’s icy lair and move back into his own sumptuous castle by the sea when he ingresses into Pisces, a sign he traditionally rules, on December 30, 2021.
A word on Saturn and Jupiter
Saturn features very prominently in my chart, so Saturnian energy in both its negative and more positive forms is something I’m well acquainted with. But Jupiter also has his say: my ascendant ruler is in a Jupiter-ruled sign and Jupiter himself is conjunct my sun. Perhaps because of this balance within me, I tend to attract people who are either very Saturnian or very Jupiterian.
What I love about Saturnian people is their shrewdness and incredible b**t detector. These people take commitments seriously, frown on flakiness and don’t balk at hardwork or that which requires discipline.
However, they also tend to be pessimistic, true glass is half full people who dwell on the negative or impossible, which at times seems like nearly everything.
What I love about Jupiterian people is their optimistic vision. These are people who live to be inspired and inspiring and love the excitement of a new possibility. Sure, ugliness exists in the world, but so does beauty and deep spiritual connection, which they prefer to focus on.
However, they tend to sometimes be blindly optimistic, either having too much faith that something will just work out even if its clearly not very realistic (a Saturn word) that it will. Although naturally exuberant, these glass half full people also have a tendency to sometimes err on the side of foolish, rose colored glasses thinking.
In my circle of friends, I try to keep those with a distinct leaning in one way or another separate from each other, because when they do come together, the comments inevitably come in later:
So and so is nice, but they seem naively optimisitic. Can anyone really be that upbeat all the time? (Saturnian person about a Jupiterian person)
I like so and so, but they seem like a bit of a negative Nancy. Are they depressed? (Jupiterian person about a Saturnian person)
Thinking about these people makes me realize how uncomfortable things have been the last two years for Jupiter – he’s been in a Saturn-ruled sign since December 3, 2019 – as well as what he stands for.
Jupiter is in his fall in Saturn-ruled Capricorn, which means Jupiterian principles like optimism, growth, expansion, helpful solutions, etc. were out of commission for nearly all of 2020 at a time when Pluto conjunct Saturn was busy amping up intensifying Saturn’s more challenging significations: fear, limitations, restrictions, death.
On December 20, 2020, Jupiter left Capricorn and ingressed into Saturn-ruled Aquarius, ushering in the Age of Air one day later. Although still bunking with Saturn, Jupiter is in better shape in Aquarius and can get on board with Aquarian virtues, like humanitarianism and helping build positive new structures and public works.
But Jupiter is most definitely hankering to move on into Pisces, and his gain in strength will surely benefit us, not to mention create a greater balance once more between Saturnian seriousness and severity and Jupiterian buoyancy and hope – a welcome change for sure.
The Lunar Nodes
This full moon also signifies a somewhat premature farewell to the lunar nodes in Gemini and Sagittarius. The nodes have been on the Gemini-Sag axis since May 2020, which means the eclipse cycles have been happening in the houses in your chart with these signs on the cusps during this time.
Eclipses signify upheavals, changes as well as endings and new beginnings in the areas of your life signified by the Gemini and Sag-ruled houses for the past year and a half. The nodes will move on to Taurus-Scorpio on January 19, 2022 and stay in those signs until July 17, 2023.
Since we had our final eclipse on this axis on December 4 (asolar eclipse in Sagittarius), with this Gemini moon as the final culmination in the lunar cycle, the nodes also take a bow.
Full Moon in Gemini: Suggested Ritual
In many magical traditions, the moon plays a central role. We track her as she waxes and wanes, using her power and cycles for manifestation.
New moons are when we set intentions, waxing moons are for growth, waning moons for ridding ourselves of things.
However, there is one widespread misconception: full moons are not actually an ideal time to manifest new things into your life with magic. When a moon is full, it has peaked and reached its culmination. Brimming with light, its energy can go no further, it can only recede.
That said, full moons are definitely still powerful moments and a great time for meditation, among other things.
For this Gemini new moon, I therefore suggest the following ritual:
During this full moon – possibly during the hour of the moon if possible – find a quiet place to meditate
Light a candle and some lunar incense, such as eucalyptus, camphor, iris or violet
Close your eyes and imagine your body filling up with the moon’s silvery light
Visualize Jupiter, a friendly, rotund figure and feel the promising buoyancy and optimism he brings into this full moon. Still cloaked in the ashen, threadbare gown of Saturn, his lavish sea green robe, encrusted with shells and jewels, is near. Soon he will move into Pisces and wear it once more, bringing us the abundance of the oceans.
Breathe and allow yourself to dream and harbor hope, a feeling far too long in short supply.
If you like, simply stay with Jupiter or you can move on and visualize the changes that have occurred in your life regarding the houses in your chart with Gemini and Sag on the cusp. Honor that which has faded away, celebrate that which has entered and hold an open heart for the changes yet to come, even those that might be difficult.
Breathe and sit with the energy as long as you like.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ageofair.substack.com
On December 19, 2021, Venus will be stationing retrograde in the sign of Capricorn – she won’t be turning direct until January 30, 2022. In my last podcast and post I went through the meaning of Venus conjunct Pluto through the houses, which still applies here as well.
Venus goes retrograde every 18 months, and when she does relationships are being challenged: we are asked to review what is working, what needs to be adjusted and perhaps what needs to come to an end. However, this does not just mean romantic relationships, it can also speak to how we relate to our neighborhood, our family, our ancestry and so on. The topics that might come up for you will depend on which house has Capricorn on the cusp in your natal house.
To gain additional insight into how this might affect you personally, it’s also useful to think back to the last time Venus went retrograde in Capricorn (and was also quite close to Pluto), which was from December 31, 2013 to February 1, 2014. The topics and themes that came up for you at that time will help give you a preview of what might come up this time around.
Pluto is very much about power and the hidden, particularly that which we fear. With Venus retrograde conjunct Pluto, I think a lot of issues will be coming up in the collective around (poisonous) power, the abuse of power and powerlessness (all Plutonian themes) and particularly how they pertain to women and sexuality (Venus) in terms of respect, or lack thereof, within structures (Capricorn).
Planetary attunement ritual
As I mentioned in the podcast, I’m personally locked into this Venus Pluto retrograde cycle because it will be sitting directly on top of my own natal Venus in the 5th house. I plan to channel this energy into some creative projects (the 5th house is perfect for this) as well as do planetary attunements to lean into things a bit.
So what is a planetary attunement?
A planetary attunement is a short ritual you do on the day and hour of a certain planet to check in and feel its energy. If that planet is doing great, the ritual will feel pleasant and easy going (unless its Mars or Saturn, in which case it will feel “good” in the way they do good). If it’s in bad shape (e.g. in the sign of its detriment or fall, getting some nasty aspect from the malefics, etc.) you’ll feel this too.
Sometimes people get nervous about doing planetary attunement rituals, because they’re worried this more challenging or negative energy might affect them in a direct way, but really you’re just checking in. In my experience, you feel the energy during the ritual and a little bit afterward, but it’s not something that lingers.
If you’d like to feel your way into what Venus retrograde conjunct Pluto stands for (instead of just trying to understand it intellectually), or lean into it if it’s affecting you personally, feel free to try out this little ritual. However, don’t feel like you have to. Plutonian energy is pretty intense, so if you don’t feel up to it or if you give the ritual a try and it feels overwhelming, you most definitely do not have to continue.
Venus planetary attunement
A Venus planetary attunement should be performed on Fridays (the day Venus rules) during the hour of Venus. Venus always rules the hour when the sun rises on her day, but if – like me– you’re not a morning person, you can choose to do the ritual on one of the other hours she rules on Friday (the afternoon one is usually between 12:30 and 3:00 depending on the time of year). To find the right time, check here.
Day and hour is the most ideal choice, but if Fridays just don’t work for some reason, you could do it during Venus’ hour on another day instead. If you want to throw yourself into things even more, you could do the ritual several times a week on any day during Venus’ hour, although I’m not sure I’d suggest doing so when the energy is this intense.
Once you have the right time, do the following (shout out to my teacher Austin Coppock for suggesting the first part here!):
Sit down and get comfortable
Light a candle and incense (for Venus, a good choice is rose, peppermint or anything that smells sweet and pleasant)
Close your eyes and focus for a minute on your breath
Now imagine your body is surrounded by a rich, verdant green. Breathe it in.
Now imagine liquid copper is flowing up from the Earth. It enters through the soles of your feet and coats your bones, going slowly up your spine, down your arms, all the way to the top of your head.
Imagine the planet Venus floating above your head. Once you’ve visualized this, imagine the symbol for Venus inside your heart.
Keeping your eyes closed, breathe and sit with the energy as long as you like.
At this point, I also usually recite the Orphic hymn to Venus before the final short meditation, so feel free to add that in if you’d like.
During this Venus retrograde conjunct Pluto period, I plan to try reciting the poem I wrote yesterday and read in the podcast. If it resonates with you, you can do the same, but please only keep it for your own personal use:
Oh Venus, fecund maiden, many splendoured queen, wrapped in furs and jewels;
Now stripped bare and smeared with mud and damp in the dark.
Leeches cling to your trembling limbs; they do not care that your skin is so cold to the touch.
Where is the joy in a freshly formed pearl, the beauty of a laughing child, the pleasure in a stolen kiss? Gone for now, but this too shall have an end.
I am with you on this journey, hand in hand, that we might face the darkness and emerge battered but not broken, our deep wounds drained of poison and cleansed, may they heal and never fester.
I am with you on this journey. You are not alone.
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On December 11, 2021 Venus will conjunct Pluto at 25 degree 19 Capricorn. Pluto intensifies whatever it touches and speaks to our sometimes darker, subconscious urges.
Although it initially often brings about a sense of crisis, Pluto also rewards us with the promise of transformation. However, there is a caveat: we first have to be brave enough to embark on a journey to the underworld and face what we fear or the uncomfortable shadow that lurks insides of all of us.
When Venus joins with Pluto, we are called to examine our relationships, in particular in their more obsessive, compulsive and addictive forms. Although this might speak to romantic relationships, its can also mean your relationship to money, to your family, to your body and so on. The distinction depends on which house in your natal chart is ruled by Capricorn.
Other topics that might come up are examining how much you sacrifice for the sake of harmony as well as places where your desires may be out of control. It may bring up issues around beauty, women, enjoyment and sexuality, since these are all topics Venus signifies. Since Capricorn is a Saturn-ruled sign, topics around respect and commitment might also come up.
To embark on a Plutonian journey can be frightening, but it also promises reward in the form of transformation and truly letting go of that which binds and possesses you but does not (or no longer) serves a healthy purpose.
To help you get a preview of what might be in store for you during this Venus Pluto conjunction, as well as the Venus retrograde cycle that begins on December 19, read about your rising sign below.
Capricorn Rising
If you have Capricorn rising, this means Venus conjunct Pluto and the Venus retrograde cycle will be taking place in your 1st house. This house is what is called one of the angular houses and it is powerful point in the chart that represents your physical body, who you are and your life purpose and direction. When Venus and Pluto meetup here, you are asked to examine your relationship to yourself and your body.
Questions to ask yourself and what you might be called to face:
How can I show up for myself with more respect and commitment?
Do I treat my body right?
Is my life heading in a direction that is true to me, and if not, what unhealthy patterns or behaviors are getting in the way?
Aquarius Rising
If you have Aquarius rising, this means Venus conjunct Pluto and the Venus retrograde cycle will be taking place in your 12th house. The 12th house speaks to the ways we undermine ourselves as well as our hidden fears, which makes this placement and difficult but powerful one. When Venus and Pluto meet up here, you are asked to examine the ways in which you are your own worst enemy. As this is also the house of solitude, taking up or intensifying a meditation practice during this time would be very helpful
Questions to ask yourself and what you might be called to face:
How can I show up for myself with more respect and commitment?
How do I get in my own way and cause problems for myself?
Do I have any issues with addiction or overly obsessive behavior? If so, what steps can I take and what commitments can I make to address these problems in a healthy way?
Pisces Rising
If you have Pisces rising, this means Venus conjunct Pluto and the Venus retrograde cycle will be taking place in your 11th house. The 12th house speaks to your friends, networks and associations within groups of people. When Venus and Pluto meet up here, you are asked to examine these aspects of your life.
Questions to ask yourself and what you might be called to face:
How can I show up for my friendship and alliances more respect and commitment?
Do I have any toxic relationships in this sphere of life? If so, have I been acting as an enabler for inappropriate behavior just to keep the peace?
What are my fears or obsessions in this area of life and how can I learn to face them and let them go?
Aries Rising
If you have Aries rising, this means Venus conjunct Pluto and the Venus retrograde cycle will be taking place in your 10th house. Like the 1st house, the 10th house is a powerful angular house that represents your career and public image as well as your mother. When Venus and Pluto meet up here, you are asked to examine your relationships in the workplace and to your career and ambition in general or your relationship with your mother.
Questions to ask yourself and what you might be called to face:
Do I have issues with respect and commitment at the workplace or my relationship with my mother, either involving others or my own actions?
Do I have any toxic relationships in this sphere of life? If so, have I been acting as an enabler for inappropriate behavior just to keep the peace?
What are my fears or obsessions in this area of life and how can I learn to face them and let them go?
Does my career bring me joy? If not, what changes do I need to make?
Taurus Rising
If you have Taurus rising, this means Venus conjunct Pluto and the Venus retrograde cycle will be taking place in your 9th house. The 9th house represents our beliefs, higher learning and foreign travel. When Venus and Pluto meet up here, you are asked to examine what you believe in as well as your relationship to people and places foreign to you. Any higher learning studies or spiritual practices are also highlighted here.
Questions to ask yourself and what you might be called to face:
Do I have issues with respect and commitment at university, within a religious/spiritual group or discipline?
Do I have any toxic relationships in this sphere of life? If so, have I been acting as an enabler for inappropriate behavior just to keep the peace?
What are my fears or obsessions in this area of life and how can I learn to face them and let them go?
Have my attitudes towards people from other countries been fear-based, negative, obsessive or sexually charged in any way? If so, how can I work on establishing healthier attitudes and let go of my prejudice or objectification?
Gemini Rising
If you have Gemini rising, this means Venus conjunct Pluto and the Venus retrograde cycle will be taking place in your 8th house. One of the heavier houses, the 8th house represents death, other people’s money (i.e. what we owe, our partners income or inheritance) and fear itself. When Venus and Pluto meet up here, you are asked to examine your relationships to these types of topics
Questions to ask yourself and what you might be called to face:
Do I have issues with respect and commitment concerning my spouse’s income, either on their side or mine?
Do I have a toxic relationships to fear? In other words, has my “fear of fear” something I either compulsively refuse to face or obsessively dwell on?
Is my fear of death overpowering? What ways could I work on a healthier relationship towards the inevitable end of life?
Cancer Rising
If you have Cancer rising, this means Venus conjunct Pluto and the Venus retrograde cycle will be taking place in your 7th house. Another one of the powerful angular houses in your chart, the 7th house represents your partnerships, be they your spouse or business partners as well as other people you encounter in general. When Venus and Pluto meet up here, you are asked to examine these central relationships.
Questions to ask yourself and what you might be called to face:
Do I have issues with respect and commitment concerning my spouse, business partner or other people in general, either on their side or mine?
Do I have an intimate toxic or addictive relationship in my life? If so, have I been acting as an enabler for inappropriate behavior just to keep the peace?
If I don’t have a romantic partner at this time, do I have any issues or compulsive patterns around choosing the wrong partner? How can I make changes to make more room for healthier choices?
Leo Rising
If you have Leo rising, this means Venus conjunct Pluto and the Venus retrograde cycle will be taking place in your 6th house. The 6th house represents illness and hard, usually thankless work. When Venus and Pluto meet up here, you are asked to examine these types of topics.
Questions to ask yourself and what you might be called to face:
Do I have issues with respect and commitment to your body that might be resulting in illnesses? If so, how might you transform your routines?
Do I have any health issues I have been ignoring that need to be addressed?
Do I have issues with responsibility and establishing healthy routines, including hard work that is not always appealing (i.e. housework, less appealing tasks at work)?
Virgo Rising
If you have Virgo rising, this means Venus conjunct Pluto and the Venus retrograde cycle will be taking place in your 5th house. The 5th house stands for romance, pleasure, entertainment, hobbies, children and sexuality. When Venus and Pluto meet up here, you are asked to examine these topics in your life.
Questions to ask yourself and what you might be called to face:
Do I have issues with respect and commitment concerning my children, lovers or my relationship to pleasure and enjoyment (please note that I say “lovers” here because a more established relationship would be described by the 7th house, but in the 5th we see things like love affairs or dating)?
Do I have any compulsive or addictive issues around sexuality?
If I don’t have any romantic interests at this time, do I have any issues or compulsive patterns around who I choose to become sexually or romantically involved with? How can I make changes to make more room for healthier choices?
If I have children (especially female children), what is the state of my relationship with them? Is there anything I need to face or come to terms with?
Libra Rising
If you have Libra rising, this means Venus conjunct Pluto and the Venus retrograde cycle will be taking place in your 4th house. Another one of the powerful angular houses in your chart, the 4th house represents you home, ancestry and your parents in general and father in particular. When Venus and Pluto meet up here, you are asked to examine these topics and relationships in your life.
Questions to ask yourself and what you might be called to face:
Do I have issues with respect and commitment concerning my relationship with your father, parents or ancestry, either on my side or theirs?
What is my relationship to my home and how might it need to change?
Do I have any compulsive or addictive issues within my family that I need to come to terms with?
Scorpio Rising
If you have Scorpio rising, this means Venus conjunct Pluto and the Venus retrograde cycle will be taking place in your 3rd house. The 3rd house stands for your local neighborhood or region, communication (including online) and your siblings. When Venus and Pluto meet up here, you are asked to examine these topics in your life.
Questions to ask yourself and what you might be called to face:
Do I have issues with respect and commitment concerning the area where I live, how I communicate with others or in my relationship with neighbors and siblings, either on my side or theirs?
Do I have any compulsive or obsessive issues around communication online? If so, what adjustments do I need to make?
If you have any siblings (especially sisters), how is your relationship? Are there any deep-seated issues welling to the surface that need to be addressed?
Sagittarius Rising
If you have Sagittarius rising, this means Venus conjunct Pluto and the Venus retrograde cycle will be taking place in your 2nd house. The 2nd house represents your finances and belongings. When Venus and Pluto meet up here, you are asked to examine these topics in your life.
Questions to ask yourself and what you might be called to face:
Do I have issues with respect or obsessive tendencies concerning my relationship to money and belongings?
Do I have any compulsive or toxic issues surrounding my finances? If so, what needs to change?
How do I feel about spending money on Venusian things (i.e. beautiful objects, romance, entertainment, etc.)? Are there any deep-seated issues welling to the surface that need to be addressed?
I’ll be back soon with a post and podcast about Venus retrograde, which happens on December 10 – so subscribe and stay tuned!
Photo by Daniele D'Andreti on Unsplash
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On November 28 there’s an awesome election for starting a new project or endeavour with a Mars signature. This election gives you drive, willpower and helps spur you into action which is lasting, since Scorpio is a fixed sign.
Mars also rules the 5th house in the chart, which is the house of pleasure and enjoyment, so whatever Mars activity you initiate at this time should also be a lot of fun for you.
The technical astro details
This chart is for Sunday, November 28 at 6:31 am and is timed for my timezone in Berlin, Germany (CEST). It features:
Mars directly on the Ascendant at around 19 degrees of Scorpio
The Moon on the MC at around 14 degrees of Virgo
If you need to relocate this chart for your timezone, make sure Mars is within five degrees of the ascendant and that the Moon is between 10 to 18 degrees of Virgo (the next aspect it makes should be either a trine to Venus or a Sextile to Mars for the election to work).
What to use it for
This election is ideal to start any sort of task that requires physical exertion, like starting a new fitness routine or learning something like martial arts or sword fighting, if that’s your thing. It’s an especially great election if you usually struggle with working out, because the Mars in Scorpio combined with the fifth house will help give you stick-with-it power for sports that make you break a sweat, while still promising ultimate enjoyment.
With its detail-oriented Virgo moon and harmonious aspect to Venus in Capricorn, this election would also be really great to starting a new creative project that has a Mars quality to it (i.e. involves exertion, intensity, fire and/or sharp, poky things). For example, you could:
start a cooking class (Mars is definitely into all that heat and knives)
start a metalwork project
learn to glaze pottery
sign up for a Capoeira course (dance AND combat, the perfect mix here!)
However, the election is not ideal for starting writing projects, even Hemingway-esque projects about war Mars would dig, because Mercury (the planet of writing) is in its sign of detriment and combust, which means it’s not functioning well enough to offer enough support.
How to use it
To use elections, you need to make some sort of concrete action to get the ball rolling at the time of the election. For example, you could go jogging at the exact time of the election if that’s what you want to start, start melting down metal at the elected time to launch new jewelry projects or sign up for a Kung Fu course at the exact time (tip if you’re not a morning person=schedule the e-mail so that it’s sent off at the right time. That’s enough!)
To find out how to use this election magically (which is what I plan to do), you can purchase Nina Gryphon’s Magical Elections PDF here.
Happy enjoyable Mars-ing!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ageofair.substack.com
On November 19, 2021 we will experience a partial lunar eclipse in the sign of Taurus. In many ways, eclipses are like super charged full moons where emotions as well as any aspects built into the moon are particular heightened. These can be times of dramatic endings or dramatic beginnings, with their effects lasting around six months, which is much longer than your average moon cycle.
As is always the case, not everyone will feel this eclipse equally. You are more likely to have it affect you personally if you have your rising sign or any personal planets in a fixed sign (Aquarius, Taurus, Scorpio, Leo) because this means it will fall in a powerful angular house or make close aspects.
Eclipses can be times where it’s important to let go, and with this eclipse we are called to examine and let go of rage you may have been holding on to. However, be careful – and this goes for November in general – that you don’t lash out in anger or become so impatience that you do something rash you may later regret. If life isn’t moving at the speed you want it to, it’s better to take a step back and breathe. The astro energy is intense right now, but it won’t be like forever. If astrology teaches us anything, it’s that change is the only true constant.
For the collective and world leaders, eclipses are often particularly important, and with this one, this will be especially true for any places traditionally ruled by Taurus or one of the other fixed signs. This lunar eclipse is also uncomfortably close to the intensely difficult fixed star Algol, which can indicate the potential for mass violence. In this case, let’s hope the astrological symbolism does not choose to manifest itself in a literal fashion…It helps that the moon is making a square to Jupiter and a sign-based trine to Venus, which rules Taurus, which are both benefic, helpful planets, so fingers crossed!
Here are the astro stats for November 19th’s partial lunar eclipse:
Moon at 27 degrees 47 Taurus, conjunct the fixed star Algol
Moon square Jupiter and trine Pluto
Moon conjunct Uranus in Taurus and in opposition to Mars and Mercury in Scorpio (these aspects will become exact the day before, but their affects will still be felt in the eclipse)
Please feel free to share any eclipses insights or experiences in the comments below!
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Happy November everyone, and welcome to a very Mars-heavy month!
Here’s my take on the new moon is Scorpio taking place on November 4. The stats are:
Moon at 12 degrees 40 of Scorpio
Moon conjunct Mars in Scorpio
Moon square Saturn in Aquarius
Moon in opposition to Uranus in Taurus
Yowza, this is really a very intense start to the lunar cycle. To find out more details, give my podcast a listen – and feel free to share you experience below.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ageofair.substack.com
Today I’m talking about the Lunar Cycle for October 2021, which includes the new moon in Libra on October 6 and the full moon in Aries on October 20.
Here are the astro stats for the October 6 Libra new moon:
at 13 degrees 25 of Libra, conjunct Mars, Mercury retrograde, conjunct the fixed star Algorab
Pluto in Capricorn stations direct on this same day
The Aries full moon takes place on October 20 and is:
in opposition to Mars and Libra on the fixed star Spica
square Pluto in Capricorn
At this point, both Saturn and Jupiter in Aquarius are direct again as is Mercury in Libra.
A shout out to the astrologer Nina Gryphon who I mentioned in the podcast. As I mentioned, I will not be doing a general astrological forecast for October, but I suggest her material on YouTube as well as the ever-fabulous Astrology Podcast.
For my astrological forecasts and other goodies, please follow my Instagram account age.of.air.
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In today’s Awesome Elections podcast I present an interesting election that would be ideal for starting an edgy art project. If you don’t know anything about electional astrology, I suggest you read this post first.
I start the podcast off with a little lecture about essential dignities in astrology, which you can see in the table below. I do so because one of the focus planets for this election is actually in its detriment (Venus in Scorpio).
(Here is a very good Twitter thread where an astrologer describes the differences between dignities in natal charts and other types of astrology).
One thing I forget to mention in the podcast is that this is likely to be a better election for personal (artistic) pleasure and self-exploration rather than a project that will bring you fame and success, so keep that in mind.
The astro stats
This chart is set for Wednesday, September 29 at 11:30 p.m. in Berlin, Germany (Central European Standard time).
The ascendant is at around 16 degrees Cancer with Cancer moon directly on the angle. The moon’s next aspect is a trine to Venus in Scorpio.
If you need to relocate the chart for your time zone, make sure the ascendant is in Cancer, ideally between around 10 to 20 degrees of the sign. The moon needs to be between 10 to 20 degrees of Cancer as well. This detail is very important because the next aspect the moon makes needs to be a trine to Venus, otherwise this election will lose its power.
Although Venus is in her detriment in Scorpio, as I mentioned, she is in her decan here as well as her house of Joy, the 5th house, which gives her some dignitiy. The 5th house rules things like pleasure, enjoyment, sexuality and artistic expression, which is why this is an interesting election to start a project that cuts to the heart (Venus in Scorpio) of such topics.
The supportive trine from a strong moon (Cancer is the moon’s home sign) helps bring manifestation and emotional power to this election and the trine to Pluto in 7th brings in further intensity and transformative power.
Please note that this election would not be ideal for writing projects, because Mercury is retrograde in the chart.
Have fun and keep me posted on any projects and outcomes. I’ll take pictures of the astrologically timed jewelry pieces I plan to make, as I mention in the podcast.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ageofair.substack.com
In this podcast, I offer up some of my thoughts on divination.
Here a link to the text about divination in Britannica I mention. I like it because it just gives factual information, but doesn’t sound all judgey and biased like a lot of allegedly objective texts do when presenting these types of subjects.
You can find an extremely long list of all the different types of divination, both old and new, here.
When it comes to the Marseille Tarot, I greatly admire the work of Camelia Elias, who I’m currently studying with, as well as Yoav Ben-Dov.
STA (School for Traditional Astrology) is where you can take the amazing hoary astrology course I’m currently enrolled in.
Like I say in the podcast, diving deeper into the I Ching is new for me, so it’s too soon for me to suggest sources. However, you can use this site to virtually throw the I Ching, which is pretty cool.
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This is the very first episode of my new Podcast series Awesome Elections here at Age of Air. In this series, I find fortunate elections to start certain events. For more information about electional astrology and how it works, read this first.
The election
Date and time: Friday, September 17 at 10:33 pm in Berlin, Germany
The ascendant is at 23 degrees of Gemini and its ruler Mercury is at 21 degrees of Libra in the 5th house.
I’ve timed this election for my location, which is in the Central European Standard time zone. To relocate it for where you’re at, make sure the chart has Gemini rising and that the moon is between 10 to 20 degrees of Aquarius in the 9th or 10th house. This is important because the moon needs to be separating from Saturn by a couple of degrees and still applying to the trine to Mercury, otherwise it won’t be effective.
How to use the election
With Mercury placed in Libra in the fifth house, which is the house of pleasure and enjoyment, this election could be used to start any sort project that has to do with starting a business that has to do with design, or any sort of communication or writing project that calls for beautiful words.
What I like it the very best for is starting a novel. Mercury is getting ready to go retrograde in a couple of days, so he’s on the slow side, and all the Saturn-ruled Aquarius also suggests slowness and working towards something in a steady, patient manner, which is definitely what you need for a novel.
Since the 9th house rules publishing among other things, this election also looks fortunate for successful publication down the road. Jupiter rules the seventh house and is on the fixed star Deneb Algedi in Saturn-ruled Aquarius, which could suggest an older, influential somewhat crusty person who lends a helping hand later.
Although Saturn can indicate blocks or restrictions, I don’t see him as causing problems here, except making things go mighty slow (hey, this is a novel we’re talking about, not flash fiction!)
A nice little extra plus: Mercury is at 21 degrees of Libra, which is Saturn’s exact degree of exaltation in the sign, which means he’s more likely to play nice. If things do move at a snail’s pace, Mercury’s placement in the 5th house indicates that the process should still be enjoyable.
What the election is NOT good for
Venus is in Scorpio, the sign of her detriment just separating from a square to Saturn and is in the 6th house, the house of hard work with little reward, which means this election would not bode well for anything to do with relationships or sexuality or more Venusian types of art, like music or dance.
Therefore, aim to use it for starting projects, business ventures or hobbies that are communicative in nature and/or call for mental creativity (=Mercury in Libra).
If you have any questions about how to relocate this chart or use it, feel free to leave a comment below.
Happy writing!
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I’m back with an astrological forecast for the third week of September 2021. Here are the three important aspects I talk about:
On September 13/14 the Sun in Virgo is in opposition to Neptune in Pisces
On September 14/15, Mars moves into Venus-ruled Libra, the sign of its detriment or “exile”
On September 17, Venus in Scorpio is square Saturn in Aquarius
To find out more about what this means, listen to the podcast. :)
See you next week!
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In my astrological forecast for the second week of September, I talk about the gentle new moon in Virgo and how events will continue to be challenging around women and women’s rights in the collective, and around relationships and connecting with others on the personal level.
Here are the astro stats I mention:
September 6: Venus in Libra square Pluto in Cap, and trine Jupiter in Aquarius, Mars trine Pluto. This could bring about a crisis in Venusian themes, such as relationships, collaborations, sexuality, the arts and entertainment and women and women’s issues in general. However, since Venus is still strong in her sign of rulership and gets some help from Jupiter, things should still look hopeful for the time being.
September 7: Virgo new moon, with the Sun trine Uranus. This moon echoes the Leo new moon in August, when the sun was square Uranus. Whereas the Leo new moon focused on ideas of leadership and the desire to put ourselves in the spotlight mixed with the impulse and desire for sudden change (the square to Uranus, which brought tension, pressure and strife), Virgo is much more analytical and practical-minded. A trine is a harmonious, flowing aspect that speaks to coming to terms and/or a better integration of Uranian energy which allows for change and innovation without throwing out the baby with the bathwater. This dynamic will develop over the next two weeks.
September 10: Venus and the Moon move into Scorpio, which is a difficult placement for both of these planets (the sign of detriment for Venus and fall for the moon). Both Venus and the Moon are signs that crave and seek connection and togetherness, but Scorpio is a Mars-ruled sign that specializes is cutting and tearing things apart. Since both of these planets signify women and mothers (the moon), this speaks to a very difficult, very challenging moment for women, as well as a time when relationships, creative projects or your general sense of wellbeing might take a bit of a beating.
The moon is also square Saturn on September 10 and in opposition to Uranus on September 11. This might lead to a heavy feeling of hopelessness (square to Saturn) and seething anger (Mars-ruled Scorpio) on the one hand, and the perhaps irrational urge to break free and shake things up emotionally on the other (Uranus).
On a personal level, you are more likely to be locked into this dynamic if you have personal planets or your ascendant in any of the fixed signs (Scorpio, Aquarius, Taurus or Leo). If this time does become an emotional-yet-heavy whirlwind for you, I’d suggest waiting it out. Venus will be in Scorpio for the rest of the month, but the moon will move on to Sag on the 12th, which should bring some relief.
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Happy September! I’ve decided to do the astrological forecast for September week by week again, which makes it easier to go into greater detail about the important aspects of the months.
If I had to sum up this month in general, I’d say it’s about diplomacy and bringing people together, and there will be some help to build lasting structures. However, there will be a tendency at times to beat around the bush too much or be too compromising. As has been the case for far too long, there will also be a danger this month around misinformation, confusing and deluded thinking, so be careful with that.
Here are the two aspects I talk about in this episode:
Mars in Virgo in opposition to Neptune in Pisces on September 2. On this day there is danger about acting aggressively due to misinformation or unclear thinking, particularly with words.
Mercury in Libra trine Saturn in Aquarius on September 5. A trine is a harmonious, helpful aspect and this one is a particularly nice aspect because Mercury is received by Saturn, which is in Libra, Saturn’s sign of exaltation. This could be a good time to build new structures or get help from established institutions (Saturn acting more positively in its home sign) for Mercurial things, such as business, travel, logistics and communication as well as the arts and entertainment. In your personal life, it could be positive for creating new, more diplomatic communication structures as well as bringing form to creative ideas.
See you next week!
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In this episode, I talk about the upcoming full moon in Aquarius which will take place on August 22, 2021. This is actually the second month in a row that we’ve had a full moon in the sign of Aquarius, which is a rather rare occurrence.
Since it’s Aquarius, Saturn is the main guy for both these full moons and also played a role in the new moon in Leo on August 8.
In the podcast, I tell a little story to help illustrate the progression here and how these lunar cycles link together, so give it a listen.
In the meantime, here are the astro stats:
Full moon at 01°26' Aquarius conjunct Saturn on July 24
New moon at 16°14' Leo opposing Saturn and square Uranus on August 8
Full moon at 29°37' Aquarius conjunct Jupiter on August 22
As always, the best way to check how this might impact you personally is by looking at the house in your chart ruled by Aquarius. The effects may also be stronger is you have any planets in Aquarius or the other fixed signs (Leo, Taurus, Scorpio).
Happy full moon!
Photo by 邱 严 on Unsplash
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It’s time for another natal chart guessing game, although I thought I’d mix things up this time and present the chart of a famous actor instead of a writer this time around.
Have fun guessing who this person might be!
Here are the astrology details I mention in the podcast:
Leo rising with Neptune in the 1st house, ascendant ruler is Gemini on the fixed star Aldebaran in the auspicious 11th house, lucky, lucky
Aquarius Moon conjunct Jupiter in the 7th house, square Saturn in Scorpio in the 4th
Pisces Mars conjunct Uranus in the 8th house
Pluto conjunct in the North Node in the 12th house (I mention this one at the end of the podcast after the reveal
As always, listen to the podcast for my interpretation of what all this astro mumbo jumbo means. :)
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Today I talk about the Lunar cycle for July 2021, which brings us a New Moon in Cancer on July 9/10 and a Full Moon in Aquarius on July 24. Here are the highlights:
Cancer is a moon-ruled sign, which means the moon will have a lot of power on July 10. The moon is about nuturance, comfort, care and togetherness, and all of those topics will be flowing quick nicely during this New Moon. A harmonious trine from Neptune will also give the New Moon a glittery feeling of boundlessness – all in all, a great day to lounge at the spa, spend a day at the beach or do anything else that makes you feel especially good.
However, the Cancer New Moon also brings in an opposition with Pluto. This aspect lends the New Moon a feeling of intensity and impending crisis, particularly involving anything to do with emotional conditioning or the past. This dynamic strikes again during the quarter moon on July 17, when the moon has a challenging square to Pluto.
Photo by Anderson Rian on Unsplash
This month’s full moon takes place in Aquarius on July 24. Aquarius is traditionally ruled by Saturn, and is conjunct Saturn on the 24th, which gives this Full Moon a very strong Saturnian vibe.
Saturn moon aspects are challenging because these two planets have very different natures: the moon is changeable and quick, whereas Saturn is constant and slow. The moon stands for mother and child, while Saturn is maturity and old age. The moon is comfort, but Saturn is harshness hardship.
After such a cushy-yet-cathartic New Moon, this Full Moon is asking us to take responsibility for our emotions and needs and gain an inner sense of authority, but this might also leave us feeling isolated and blue.
The Full Moon also ties us into the Saturn square Uranus dynamic of the year (the moon will square Uranus on July 25). Some questions to ask yourself as the moon begins to wane are: How do I stand with my own authority? Am I someone who feels called to hold up the status quo (Saturn) or bring in innovation and volatile change (Uranus)? What is the emotional line between rigidity and authoritarianism and chaos and radical change?
Very interesting lunar cycle this time around indeed. As always, how strongly it affects you personally will depend on your personal birth chart.
Let me know how things go!
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July is upon us, and the astrology is definitely going to heat things up both literally and figuratively. In this forecast, I talk through the following aspects in detail with a phrase here for each one to get you started:
July 1: Mars in Leo in opposition to Saturn in Aquarius (=road rage day)
July 4: Mars in Leo square Uranus in Taurus (=a blow torch and a can of gasoline – if you’re in the US, go easy on the fireworks!!)
July 6: Mercury in Gemini square Neptune in Pisces (=miscommunication, misunderstandings and lost packages, part 3)
July 7: Venus in Leo in opposition to Saturn in Aquarius (=Venus wants to party, Saturn says, “You’re grounded,” and locks her in her room)
July 8: Venus in Leo square Uranus in Taurus (=Venus gets rebel-without-a-cause Uranus to bust her out of there, but they get in a fight and part ways)
July 13: Venus in Leo conjunct Mars in Leo (=bring on the heat, in more ways than one!)
July 22: Venus ingresses into Virgo in opposition to Jupiter in Pisces (=a cool down in the volatility and heat this month has brought us so far)
July 28: Jupiter retrogrades back into Aquarius (=Saturn gets to call the shots again, but Jupiter will offer his help)
July 29: Mars in Leo in opposition to Jupiter in Pisces (=Mars serves up a sucker punch to Santa before he flees into Virgo)
The two lunations for July 2021 are a New Moon in Cancer on July 10 and a Full Moon in Aquarius on July 24. I don’t go into the moon cycles in the podcast, but plan to address them individually later in the month.
For more about the astrology of July 2021, check out the podcast and leave your thoughts and questions in the comments section below – it’s always good to hear from you.
In the meantime, if you’re in the Northern hemisphere, be sure to keep cool this month – it looks like it’s going to be a scorcher!
Photo by Ava Sol on Unsplash
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On June 24, 2021 we will have a full moon in Capricorn. This is the first lunation we’ve had in a while that is not an eclipse. Eclipses can sometimes bring drama and supercharged emotions, so a regular old full moon should bring us a sense of relief for the time being.
This Capricorn full moon is the first glimpse at culmination for what the Gemini solar eclipse will ultimately manifest in our lives (the final act for the solar eclipse will be on December 19, when we have the full moon in Gemini).
Photo by Wolfgang Hasselmann on Unsplash
This full moon is all about the Capricorn/Cancer axis
The moon is about or unconscious needs; it’s about what makes us feel comfortable and how comforted, how we nuture, and feel nurtured. It speaks to our mental health, our memory and our relationship to our mothers and mothering in general.
The moon seeks connection, both personal and familial, and symbolizes our longing to belong. It is ruled by the sign of Cancer, which is sensitive, but can also be clingy and moody at times.
Capricorn, on the other hand, is ruled to Saturn. This sign is what is called the sign of fall for the moon, which means it comes with some challenges.
The moon wants to belong and be with others, whereas Saturn stands for isolation. The moon wants to be nurtured and feel safe and secure, but Saturn brings hardship and suffering. The moon stands likes to stays in its comfort zone, while Saturn says grin and bear it.
With the sun in Cancer, which stands for our consciousness, and the full moon in Capricorn, we are called to examine the places where we need to establish a sense of maturity, independence and responsibility (Saturn) that are also balanced with our emotional needs, ability to be vulnerable and connection with others (moon).
During the full moon, this Capricorn/Cancer aspect is brought up in another aspect that I mention below.
The Saturn Uranus square is baked into the Capricorn full moon
Since this Capricorn full moon is brought to us by its ruler Saturn, the Saturn Uranus square also comes into play.
Saturn square Uranus brings conflict, action and a sense of friction into urgency into such topics as:
tradition vs innovation
authoritarianism vs rebellion
old versus young
the established vs the shock of the new
order vs chaos
Aspects between slower planets such as Saturn – the last of the visible planets – and Uranus often tend to play out more in the collective than in our personal lives. However, you will be plugged into this aspect in a more personal way if you have any personal planets in fixed signs (Aquarius, Taurus, Leo, Scorpio), especially if they are between 10 to 15 degree in any of these signs.
The full moon in Capricorn bring us Venus in opposition to Pluto
Another aspect that comes into play in June 24th’s full moon in Capricorn is Venus in Cancer in opposition to Pluto in Capricorn.
Venus is about bringing people together, about how we relate to each other as both friends and lovers, how we experience joy, entertainment and artistic expression. The planet can also stand for women in general, particularly younger women.
When Pluto aspects a planet, it intensifies what it stand for and can bring about crisis and catharsis. The god of the underworld, Pluto calls us to examine that which usually remains hidden and unseen in the shadows.
Therefore, the Capricorn full moon may also emphasize crisis and catharsis in relationships, around sexuality, women’s issues and artistic projects.
Although what Pluto brings can be overwhelming and painful, if you’re brave enough to venture into the underworld, it can also bring healing and the chance to “face your demons” and undergo powerful change and transformation.
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As I said in my previous text and podcast, I want to create a better balance between writing and talking about astrology, tarot and magic here at Age of Air, since things have been a bit heavy on the astro side now for a while.
So, ta-da! Here’s a little podcast and text about my approach to tarot!
People take different approaches to the cards, just like they do with astrology, so I thought it would be important for you to understanding where I’m coming from before I get started doing more with tarot.
Here are the three things I consider most important, and the system I prefer.
The question asked is key
To get a precise answer to the question, you need to ask a precise question. Rather than ask a general, broad question like, Will I ever be happy in my career? ask something more specific that gets to the heart of what you actually want to know, for example:
Why am I unhappy in my career right now? What changes can I make? Should I throw in the towel and go into business for myself? and so on.
Questions about the far-off future are less effective
The tarot is better for short-term insights no longer than six months to maybe a year away. Anything else is likely to get vague and muddled. In general, this is true for other forms of divination as well, such as hoary astrology.
Therefore, when reading tarot or having someone read for you, when it comes to questions, think precise and to the point about topics either in the past, present, or near future.
The cards deliver radical clarity
If you ever have your cards read and the person only says marvellously positive things that reassure you that the outcome you’ll have is exactly what you hoped and dreamed it would be, then I’d say it’s time to start getting sceptical.
Sure, there is a chance that a lot of great things are on the horizon for you, and if so, then lucky you!
However, the greater chance is that this may be a cartomancer who is keeping their customers happy by just telling them what they want to hear. No wonder, since often the underlying reason why most people ask a question is because they want to be reassured that what they wish for will come true.
This I understand, since I’d be lying if I said I don’t sometimes feel that itch for reassurance when I read for myself as well.
However, the real power of the cards is their ability to help us see more clearly. They can cut through our confusion, our blindness, our delusions and illusions and tell us what is, what was and what is likely to be.
But the saying is true: truth hurts. Therefore, it’s important to only ask questions you honestly want answered, even if the true answer may not be something you want to hear.
If you’re open to the answer, be what it may be, the tarot can lift up the veil and reveal what you knew all along at some level, which is incredibly liberating, even though its sometimes hard.
The card system I prefer
In the English-speaking world, the esoteric Waite-Smith tarot (1909) is the most popular system to use. Created by Arthur Waite and the artist Pamela Smith, this tarot system married the Tarot de Marseille cards with many other occult disciplines and symbolism, such as astrology, Kabbalah, Christian symbolism, and so on. Here’s what the original (minor arcana) cards looked like.
Both Waite and Smith were members of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, a secret occult society for magic and spiritual development, which is why their system focuses on (spiritual) self-betterment and the “journey through life.”
These days I prefer the directness and simplicity of the original Tarot de Marseille. It can seem a bit more intimidating because the pips (called minor arcana in the Waite-Smith tarot) don’t have pictures. However, the system offers much more flexibility, and trims the fat of all that extra symbolism, which in my opinion sometimes gets in the way of reading clearly.
Here’s an example of the coins suit in the deck. As you can see it looks more like a playing card that the Waite-Smith deck, where you get a picture. However, the pictures tend to point you in the direction that Waite decided you should go, which is ultimately more restrictive and less creative.
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On June 14, the Saturn square Uranus became exact again for the second time in 2021, and the square will remain very close for the rest of the month into early July. Mars moved into Leo on June 12, which will add more heat, aggression, drama and volatility to this aspect. This will come to a head at the end of the month when Mars enters into a tighter square with both Saturn and Uranus.
Saturn stand for things like tradition, established structures, boundaries, the old, tried and true on the one hand and authoritarianism, harsh limitations and rigidity on the other.
Uranus stands for revolution, brilliant innovation, disruption and the new on the one hand, and destructive chaos, surprising shocks and sudden unexpected turns of events (either positive or negative) on the other.
In my podcast, I offer some examples on how this square between these two planets might manifest.
However, one thing I forgot to mention is this: Since the planets involved here are all fixed sign modalities, this amps up their stubbornness, fixation on their own viewpoint and general inflexibility. This means two sides who are convinced their standpoint is the “right” one, which makes any kind of compromise extremely difficult if not impossible. Mars heating up these guys this month is therefore a potential recipe for extreme action and disaster.
The last time (Act I) the Saturn square Uranus aspect was exact and heated up by Mars was in early to mid-February 2021. Act III will take place in December, so hold on to your hats and stay tuned!
Photo by Amber Kipp on Unsplash
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In today’s podcast I talk about the solar eclipse in Gemini which will be taking place on June 10, 2021.
This particular eclipse will be on the Lunar North Node, which means that you will be seeing growth and new developments in the house in your chart that is ruled by Gemini.
You can find out a bit more about what eclipses and eclipse season are from an astronomical standpoint here. I also will be writing an article about the Gemini solar eclipse through the houses in a few days, so stay tuned.
Two other important astrological happenings for the second week of June are as follows:
Mars moves into Leo on June 11: In some ways this is positive, because Cancer is a challenging sign for Mars to be in. However, Mars in Leo also squares the Saturn/Uranus square, which means it brings more heat, tension, aggression or possibly violence into this dynamic. We’ll get more of a taste for what this means when the Saturn/Uranus square becomes exact again next week.
Sun conjunct Mercury retrograde in Gemini on June 11: This will shine a spotlight on whatever it is Mercury retrograde is asking us to rethink or reexamine.
Enjoy the podcast and all the best!
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It’s time for another guess the writer astrological guessing game. For this, I describe the natal chart of the writer above without saying who they are until the end.
These games also show you the basic, quick way to do an astrological reading, which is by looking at the Ascendant, Ascendant ruler, the Sun, Moon and their house placements and aspects.
For this person, the astrological details I cover are as follows:
Ascendant in Aquarius
Ascendant ruler is Saturn in Capricorn in opposition to Pluto in Cancer
Moon in Libra in the 9th house
Virgo stellium in the 8th house (Venus, Jupiter and Neptune)
Sun and Mercury in Scorpio in the 10th house
Leo Mars in the 7th square Mercury in the 10th
I go off on a bit of a tangent about the nodes of the moon, which is way too complex to get into for a mini reading like this. If you want to know more about the traditional take on the nodal access, check out this video, which is one in a series.
Here’s the lowdown on the 27 club I mentioned.
I’ll be back soon to talk about next week’s solar eclipse, so stayed tuned.
p.s. Sorry about the weird buzz at the end of the podcast, not sure what that’s about!
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In this episode, I talk about the astrology of June 2021. Since this month has a lot of important astrological aspects, I’m going to go through them week by week instead of all in one go.
Here’s a summary of the first week of June astrological aspects/ingresses I talk about in the podcast:
Mercury is stationing retrograde in Gemini on May 29/30
The Sun in Gemini is conjunct the North Node on June 1
Venus ingresses into Cancer on June 2
Venus in Cancer is trine Jupiter in Pisces on June 4 – a day of good fortune!
Retrograde Mercury is square Neptune on June 5
Mars in Cancer is in opposition to Pluto on June 5
The last two aspects are happening almost simultaneously and really bring with them the potential for emotionally-motivated aggressive, or even violent acts (Mars) on a mass scale (Pluto) which may also be based or greatly influenced by confusion, unclear thinking or miscommunication (Retrograde Mercury square Neptune).
Tarot reading for Mars in opposition to Pluto and Retrograde Mercury square Neptune
Since this aspect on June 5 is potentially challenging and explosive, I thought I’d do a reading to see if the cards had any advice.
Question: What is the best way to handle the challenges of these aspects around June 5?
I pulled the Hermit, Judgement and the Lovers and interpret the card’s advice as follows:
There may be a loud announcement, or perhaps people digging into each other even more virulently than usual on Twitter & co. (Judgement), which may make you feel like you have to choose sides (the Lovers). But don’t forget, you can always withdraw into yourself and walk away (the Hermit) – sometimes refusing to get involved is the wisest choice of all.
Considering the likely emotional volatility and unclear thinking these aspects suggest, this is very sage advice indeed.
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In today’s episode I talk about the New Moon in Taurus on May 11 and take it through the houses.
With no major aspects involved, this New Moon is not a particular intense one, but it is pleasant in steady Taurus, which is the moon’s sign of exaltation. As for me, today the weather was great in Berlin and I spent a lot of time lounging lazily outside in the sun and treated myself to a tasty slice of carrot cake. #taurus.moon.at.its.best
But, for this year, the Taurus New Moon symbolizes a shift into Gemini season. On May 12, the Moon ingresses into Gemini, where it meets up with Mercury and Venus who are already there. The Sun joins the Gemini Twin’s party on May 20.
Since Gemini will also be the sign of the Annular Solar Eclipse on June 9/10, the house in your natal chart ruled by Gemini is going to be getting a whole lot of action in the coming weeks.
For some insight into what this might mean for you personally, check out the podcast.
Photo by Vivek Doshi on Unsplash
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Today I’m presenting you with a new “guess the writer” natal chart game for one of my favorite all-time writers.
They also have quite a chart, as you will see. Here are the various points and aspects I describe (to find out what it all means, listen to the podcast ;) ):
Aries ascendant conjunct Uranus
Ascendant ruler: Mars in Cancer in the 4h house
Moon in Aquarius in the 11th house
Sun in the 9th house in a Sagittarius stellium together with Mercury and Saturn
Hope you have a fun time guessing!
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Welcome to May and the joys and hopes of Spring. We could definitely use some of those at this point, and as you’ll see in the May 2021 astrological forecast, this month offers just that!
I go into more detail in the podcast, but here’s the mini version:
Mercury will move into the Gemini on May 3/4, which is a sign the planet rules. Having a strong Mercury will be good for things like commerce, business, travel, communication and education – sounds pretty darn good at this point, for sure!
The strength and focus on these topic will be amplified on May 9/10, when Mercury conjuncts the North Node. On May 11/12, Mercury enters into a flowing trine with Saturn in Aquarius, and at this time we might be hearing positive news about new plans to get business going, open schools and ease travel in many places in the world.
On May 9, Venus enters Gemini. In Mercury’s sign, Venus will be very much about communication and lots of it. This lady yearns to socialize! On May 19/20, Venus will also trine Saturn, which means we may have some news and communication around the arts and entertainment and ways to bring this back into our lives.
Gemini is a chatty sign and Gemini in Venus loves fun and games and word play. If possible, May will be a great month for socializing, witty banter and gathering together to play games and enjoy ourselves in a way that has not been possible for far too long.
Photo by Brianna Santellan on Unsplash
Other great news: on May 13/14, Jupiter will be entering Pisces, which is a sign it traditionally rules. Jupiter rules things like wealth, justice, higher knowledge and learning, growth and optimism.
We’ve had nearly 18 months of Jupiter in a Saturn-ruled sign. The planet was in Capricorn all of 2020, which is the sign of its detriment. Since Saturn was so strong last year (it was also in Capricorn, a sigh it rules), Jupiter was really offline last year, and therefore couldn’t help us much.
Now in Aquarius, the planet is still in Saturn’s domain, albeit in a better condition. Jupiter in Aquarius has been leading us to focus on topics like social justice, building progressive structures and humanitarian aid. But since Saturn is still in charge, restrictions, limitations, sternness and slow growth and progress are still the name of the game.
When Jupiter enters Pisces, a sign which symbolizes boundlessness, we will likely see many of the restrictions we’ve been under for over a year start to lift and life will gain momentum. However, this freedom will be relatively short-lived: Jupiter will go retrograde in late June and return to Aquarius for the rest of the year.
Although this placement may offer much needed relief on many fronts, it is more a preview of 2022, when Jupiter will be in Pisces for the entire year, than a return to “normal” life.
On a more positive note (it is Jupiter after all!), Jupiter in Pisces is a great time to embark on or deepen a spiritual or magical practice, especially when Mercury, the planet that rules magic, is strong and in its own sign. The planet will be in Pisces from May 14 to July 28.
Enjoy the month ahead! I’ll be back with more on the lunar cycle and some tarot readings in the week(s) to come.
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Today I’m talking about the full moon in Scorpio, which will take place on April 27, 2021. This is a really intense full moon that has the potential to lead to confusing, volatile feelings that may encourage people to lash out emotionally in ways they may later regret (think angry drunk).
This full moon also activates the Saturn Uranus square, which means it may trigger this rebellious, revolutionary energy with potential disastrous results.
My advice is, lay low for this moon. Stays away from protests or twitter wars, as well as irrational spats with others in general, because they have the potential to get out of hand in destructive ways.
You may particularly feel the energy of this full moon if you have either Scorpio or Taurus rising or planets at around 10 to 15 degrees of the fixed signs (Aquarius, Taurus, Scorpio and Leo).
This energy will subside by the end of the week.
Photo by Leon Pauleikhoff on Unsplash
Writing prompt for the April 2021 lunar cycle
As promised, here is the creative “plot line” any writers out there can take away from this lunar cycle. Feel free to steal it and write your award winning novel!
Exposition (New Moon):
The protagonist of the story is an assertive, action-oriented person (Aries) who is direct in speech and does not shy from conflict (Mercury in Aries), in fact, they relish in debate and heated discussions, whether verbal or written (Mercury in Aries in mutual reception with Mars in Gemini).
Rising Action (The Crescent Moon, Quarter Moon, Waxing Gibbous):
The protagonist becomes very ambitious about some sort of mercurial pursuit, which could be either business, writing, mathematics, or similar intellectual field (Crescent Moon in Gemini conjunct the North Node). An older authority figure who can help provide structure for their ambitions comes into their lives (Moon in Gemini trine Saturn in Aquarius).
The person wishes to be the center of attention and/or receive recognition for their achievements (Quarter Moon in Leo), but they are experiencing some resistance or conflict from several people (Moon in Leo square Sun, Mercury and Venus in Taurus). The Sun could be a solar figure such as a leader, famous or influential person, or a father, Venus could be a woman, love interest or romantic partner and Mercury could be a younger sibling, a writer or messenger or even simply the Internet. Since Taurus is the sign, there could be pressure (internal or external) here to settle down, i.e. buy a house or start a family and live a more life based on comfort and stability.
By the Waxing Gibbous, it appears that this person has solved the conflict. They are now in the rational, practical sign of Virgo, and have a harmonious relationship with the person symbolizing Mercury and Venus (Virgo moon trine Mercury and Venus). Inspiration is flowing (trine to Uranus), but they do feel an itch and/or conflict around their former hungry ambition (sure the North Node in Gemini). A new person/emotion enters the scene, Mars in Cancer. This is either an unstable person (possibly male) with poor impulse control who tends to be emotionally manipulative or lash out without thinking to perceived slights. They may struggle with alcohol and may even have issues with aggression or violence. If this isn’t an action person, it could stand for these impulses or weaknesses within our protagonist
Climax and Culmination (Full Moon in Scorpio):
Oh my, this is where the s**t hits the fan! Or protagonist seems to have been stirred up by the Mars in Cancer character/impulse and a sense of anger and resentment well up to the surface. These two are in cahoots and getting each other into trouble, possibly by getting drunk at an office party or family picnic and lashing out at people in hurtful ways that they will regret when they sober up. These people they confront or have a falling out with are the same characters we’ve met before, who are represented by the Sun, Venus and Mercury (Sun, Venus and Mercury in opposition to Moon in Scorpio). The opposition to Uranus suggests or protagonist may do some sudden and reckless, and the square to Saturn suggest that for this action they will get in trouble with the authorities or even land in jail.
Falling action (Waning Gibbous, Last Quarter Moon, Balsamic/Dark Moon):
After the shenanigans our protagonist got into, which may have cost them quite a bit, they do some philosophical soul searching (Waning Gibbous in Sagittarius). Although they may get off track by falling for something illusory (i.e. a spiritual charlatan or a glamorous idea that ends up to be a delusion), they also will ultimately meet a spiritual leader (probably middle aged up until their late 60s) who will help them find their path, which might be the path of social justice (Sag moon sextile Jupiter in Aquarius).
Our protagonist has become more mature, rational and disciplined (Last Quarter Moon in Aquarius conjunct Saturn). Perhaps they have become ascetic and solitary (same energy), but either way they feel at peace with their former ambition and insatiable drive (Moon in Aquarius trine North Node in Gemini). However, a sudden change to their life in the monastery or spiritual retreat center creates conflict (square to Uranus) which may have been initiated or lead to a renewal of conflict with the character represented by the Sun. While the Sun character had the upper hand in the conflict when the moon was in Leo, this time our protagonist is the one who gets to call the shots (Moon in Aquarius in a superior square over the Sun in Taurus).
After this experience, our protagonist grows spiritually once again because they plunge the depths and face their fears to an even greater degree (Balsamic/Dark Moon in Pisces sextile Pluto). The novel ends with them reconciling with the Venus character (Moon in Pisces sextile Venus in Taurus). This story has a happy end, with emotional and spiritual growth which brings joy and possibly a renewed spark into estranged relationships/romance.
Pretty nice story, thanks moon!
If this writing prompt inspires you, good luck and keep me posted! Of course, you are free to change any of the details around as you wish–when it comes to lunar cycle writing prompts, there are no rules. :)
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Photo by Francesco Ungaro on Unsplash
On April 22 or 23, Mars will enter the sign of Cancer. Since Cancer is the sign of Mars’ fall, it’s not the easiest sign for this planet to be in. I go into more detail about what this means in my podcast, but in a nutshell, when Mars is in Cancer:
your actions may be dictated by your emotions more than is usually the case
it may be harder to be disciplined and get to work, especially when you’re not in the mood to do so
you may be prone to being overly sensitive to slights and lashing out emotionally
confrontation and conflict may be difficult and you may feel more (emotionally) angry and weepy than usually and crave retreat
On a more positive note, Mars is Cancer also has a protective, mama bear kind of energy, so this is a also a great time to fight and stand up for any issues having to do with mothers and children, vulnerable and endangered groups or really anything about which your feel particularly protective or emotional.
However, watch out for going too far or flying emotionally off the handle and doing things you will later regret in the heat of the moment, as this is always the danger with Mars in Cancer.
Mars will be in Cancer until June 11 or 12, depending on your location.
I’ll be back with the writing prompt for rising action in the lunar cycle at the beginning of next week.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ageofair.substack.com
On April 15, 2021, Venus ingresses into Taurus, which is a sign she rules.
To find out why this might bring more harmony into your relationships, and be a great time for baking bread, listen to the podcast.
In the meantime, here’s my tarot spread for the question:
What is the best way to take advantage of the Venus in Taurus energy?
I really love the work of the cartomancer Camelia Elias, who I’m currently studying with. Rather than considering the tarot to be an esoteric path towards higher spiritual development, she really uses the cards (Marseille Tarot, not RWS) as a tool to achieve clarity in the here and now.
The cards tells stories, and that’s what I dig.
In her book, Read Like The Devil she points out that you do not need to read the cards in a spread in a consecutive order. What you need is a clear and precise question, then look for the story in the cards (there’s more to it than this, of course, but that’s the short version).
The story I see here is as:
We are living right now in a time of constant change (Wheel of Fortune). The Corona numbers go up, and then they go down. In battling the virus, some countries do well and then fail, and the other way around (e.g. Germany and the US). How can we make plans a few weeks from now, let alone a few months?
But we still need to relate to one another. How does Venus in Aries do so? As the Empress, a woman of action, who gets the ball rolling. Sometimes there is a need to sacrifice harmony for assertiveness to get the job done.
Thank you, Venus in Aries. You may step to the side until you reemerge next Spring to get us in the mood for the beauty in an energetic bout of Spring cleaning.
Venus is in Taurus now, her nocturnal home, which is pictured here as the Star. Harmony, patience, beauty and joy, they will flow much easier now. The woman in the picture is (care)free and trusting and secure enough to get naked and enjoy herself under the stars.
What the heck? If that’s your thing, then go for it. If not, another great alternative would be the other card I pulled.
The message here? When Venus is in Taurus, take time to smell and enjoy the flower or, better yet, plant some of your own!
Venus will be in Taurus from April 15 to May 11.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ageofair.substack.com
How is a raven like a writing desk?
Beats me.
But one thing I do know: lunar cycles–as well as planetary cycles as a whole–are a heck of lot like a well-structured novel or film.
Wait, what?
Bear with me now.
Here are the steps of the “dramatic arc” (thanks, Wikipedia!):
Exposition (i.e. establishing setting, characters, etc.)
Rising action (includes an inciting incident that kicks off the action)
Climax
Falling action
Catastrophe, denouement, resolution or relevation
Although this structure was created to analyze plays, it is also most definitely used in novels, at least those that are more plot driven (I mostly read literary fiction and, call me old-fashioned if you will, but I think novels should always have at least some plot, otherwise…snore).
Here’s an example of this arc in action with the fairytale Cinderella:
Exposition: Cinderella lives with her father and evil stepmother in a well-to-do household. Her two stepsisters are petty, plain and cruel and they are jealous of Cinderella’s beauty and kind manner. The stepmother makes her work as a scullery maid and her wimpy dad does nothing to stop this.
Rising action: (inciting incident) The prince invites all eligible young ladies to a ball, but the evil stepmother refuses to let Cinderella go. Oh, the despair! But wait–a fairy godmother (or little white bird and tree in the original version) come and provides a dress and transforms a pumpkin, mice and rats into a coach, horses and footmen. Cinderella can go to the ball!
Climax: The ball! Who is this mysterious princess that has captured the heart of prince? Even her stepsisters do not recognize her. But at the stroke of midnight, the spell wears off. Cinderella flees, leaving a crystal slipper behind.
Falling action: Cinderella goes back to being a scullery maid as though nothing has changed and the prince searches the kingdom for his beloved with the shoe she left behind. The Disney version speeds things up to the happily ever after rather quickly at this point, but in the Grimm’s original the step sisters try to cheat by cutting off parts of their foot so that the slipper will fit, but the bird warns the prince both times that blood is seeping out of the shoes. Very grim indeed!
Resolution: The prince finds Cinderella, the slipper fits perfectly, they live happily ever after. In the original story, the bird also pecks out the eyes of the evil stepsisters at the wedding, because forgiveness is for chumps, of course.
So what about lunar cycles?
Lunar cycles (and planetary cycles in general, like the Sun Venus cycle that just restarted at the end of last month) follow a remarkable similar arc:
At the New Moon, the scene is set/seeds are planted. What kind of energy are we dealing with, what characters (i.e. planets) come into play, what kind of atmosphere and tension is already built in (i.e. signs, aspects, etc.)?
Waxing=rising action. This comes in three steps:
The Crescent Moon, Quarter Moon, Waxing Gibbous.
Full Moon=Climax and culmination. Whatever was set in motion during the New Moon now reaches it peak.
Waning=falling action. This comes in three steps, with the final being the resolution:
Waning Gibbous, Last Quarter Moon, Balsamic/Dark Moon.
In this post, I compared the lunar cycle to a tree, which also works, but this dramatic arc is very dear to my writer’s heart.
Besides, Mercury in Aries and Mars in Gemini are in mutual reception right now, which means this is a great time to get a lot of writing done.
Therefore, I thought it would be fun to use this lunar cycle as a writing prompt!
New Moon Writing Prompt
Here are the details about the New Moon in Aries, which will take place on April 11 or 12 (depending on your location), 2021:
Sun conjunct Moon in Aries
Moon conjunct Venus in Aries
Moon sextile Jupiter in Aquarius
Moon square Pluto
Mercury in Aries in mutual reception with Mars in Gemini
Bonus: a whiff of the Uranus square Saturn energy when the moon moves into Taurus later in the day
To find out what all of this means from an astrological viewpoint, then listen to the podcast.
As for the writing prompt, this New Moon is the exposition (scene/character setting).
Here’s my summary for what you have to work with here:
The main character is an assertive, action-oriented person (Aries) who is direct in speech and does not shy from conflict (Mercury in Aries), in fact, they relish in debate and heated discussions, whether verbal or written (Mercury in Aries in mutual reception with Mars in Gemini).
They come from an environment that is supportive to their nature (so many Aries planets, sextile with Jupiter) and may be concerned with topics such as feminism, social justice, spiritual truth, etc. (Venus and Jupiter).
Possible additional characters:
They may have a female lover/friend/partner who is very much on the same page with them and has a similar attitude towards assertiveness in relationships and/or action and boldness in the arts (Moon conjunct Venus in Aries)
The same may be true about a father, boss or influential figure they are close to (Moon conjunct Sun in Aries)
They may have a teacher who inspires them with ideas and idealism about justice, philosophy, higher learning or the law and how these may be restructured and analyzed (Jupiter in Aquarius in an overcoming sextile to Moon in Aries).
Conflict:
They may be facing some sort of external or internal power struggle which has a rather dark and foreboding (or underworld) feel to it (Moon square Pluto), but this is not yet at the forefront and/or they may not be fully aware of it yet.
Some sort of (emotional) call towards revolution/anarchy/rebellion/radical change against authority and structure may be on the horizon (Uranus square Saturn aspect being activated when the moon moves into Taurus).
If you’re feeling it, then get started!
Whew. That’s quite an energetic potential exposition for sure.
Sit with it, do some free writing and see where it takes you and what character(s) emerge.
I’ll be back next week with the crescent moon to bring in the flavor of the rising action (=waxing moon).
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Welcome to Aries season, everyone!
While March brought us a big puddle of Pisces energy, which was sometimes dreamy and other worldly and sometimes unclear and confused, April is bursting onto the scene with a whole bunch of Aries.
Pisces is a passive mutable sign, but Aries is a cardinal, action-oriented sign ruled by Mars. April will be the month to get the ball rolling and say what needs to be said in assertive, bold ways. However, as is always the case with Aries energy, make sure you don’t give way to too much impatience or shift from healthy directness to a combative bluntness that may batter and bruise too many people to be effective in the end.
Here are the astrological events I mention in the podcast:
On April 4, Mercury moves into Aries. The planet joins the Sun and Venus, which are already in Aries, and will lead to assertive, at times combative, communication as well as give a boost to business and technology. This push towards action and moving things forward more rapidly is supported by the mutual reception Aries Mercury has with Gemini Mars (more on this in the podcast).
Mars square Neptune on April 9. Neptune likes to dissolve and bring in the fog, which will slow down Mars’ forward charge. On the 9th, as well as a few days before and after, this means you may not know how to move forward, which could bring frustration. However, this will be a temporary turn, so try to have patience.
Mercury sextile Saturn on April 10. This may bring up new thoughts and bold discussions about progressive structures, blocks or boundaries both in your personal life and the collective.
Venus sextile Jupiter on April 10. Venus is about relationships and harmony, among other things, but Venus in Aries speaks to the need for assertiveness, even if it brings discord. Jupiter here helps both to boost Venus’s need to directly address relationship patterns, for example, and also brings in good luck that whatever you choose to work on along these lines will ultimately be beneficial.
Stay tuned for my astrological forecast for the second week of April next week – and Happy Easter!
p.s. The Aries ingress chart analysis video from Nina Gryphon isn’t available yet on YouTube (she released it early to patrons), but you can find it within the next few days here.
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Hi everyone,
This is the same post as before, but I’ve included the podcast this time. :)
Yes, it’s time for another episode of “Guess the Writer” (in this case, guess the writer/bohemian). As I did in my last episode, I describe many of the most important aspects about this person that can be seen in their chart and what this likely meant about them so that you can guess who it is I’m talking about.
In this case, the only clue I offer is that this person is no longer living and that they were famous for their bohemian lifestyle (and love affairs, as you’ll hear) as well as their writing. Gender, nationality, etc. I’m leaving out because we wouldn’t want to make it too easy, now would we?
Here’s what this person’s chart looks like:
The placements/aspects I talk about in the podcast are:
The ascendant in Libra
Venus in Pisces (sign of her exaltation) in the Sixth house
Venus square Uranus and Pluto
Sun in Pisces in the Sixth house
Jupiter in Pisces (sign of rulership) in the Sixth house, combust the Sun
Mars in Libra in the First house, conjunct the North Node
Neptune conjunct the MC
Moon in Capricorn in the Fourth house
Moon in opposition to Neptune and conjunct Uranus
Saturn conjunct Mercury in the 5th house
Last time I really only focused on the person’s ascendant, ascendant ruler, Sun and Moon as well as the planets that ruled the signs they were in. However, since this person has some important placements in angular houses, they really color their personality in a significant way that had to be mentioned.If you’re interested in what all this means and at guessing just who this person might be, then give the episode a listen!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ageofair.substack.com
Today my podcast is about Mercury in Pisces and all I have to say is, welcome to my world!
Mercury rules the sign of Virgo, where it is also said to be “exalted.” This is because detail-oriented, rational and exact Virgo perfectly fits what Mercury wishes to do. Mercury rules language, verbal and written communication, rational thought, commerce and any sort of “messenger” system, like e-mail or the post office.
For these types of things, we definitely prefer the exactness of a Virgo: clear, precise speech, shrewd financial analysis, logistic systems that are expertly and efficiently planned, e-mails that always instantly arrive.
However, in Jupiter-ruled Pisces–the sign that is opposite Virgo–Mercury is in both its detriment and fall, which means this is a particularly challenging sign for the planet to be in. Think of Pisces like a view over a vast ocean when you’re floating right in the middle of it. No details to analyze, no pieces to take apart and put together again like Mercury wants to do, only an endless landscape of watery blue. Mercury struggles in Pisces because it quickly becomes overwhelmed.
Mercury enters Pisces on March 15/16 (depending on where you live in the world) and will stay there until April 5.
This is a fantastic time to do the following:
Dream and allow yourself to let go
Follow your creative inspiration
Write poetry
Focus on building a spiritual practice
Meditate
But watch out for:
unclear thinking
miscommunications
crossed signals
a generally feeling of being lost or overwhelmed
Another important point: Although Pisces Mercury is great for spirituality, be careful that you don’t go for something where you are encouraged to completely turn off your mind in unhealthy ways. There is a difference between letting go and getting brainwashed by a charlatan guru or spiritual leader who insists you should turn off critical thinking, which can sometimes be the danger of Mercury in Pisces energy.
Personal testimony
As I mentioned above, I personally have Mercury in Pisces, which is also my chart ruler. In my podcast I talk about this placement, including both its blessings and challenges. Although it has brought me trouble, I personally wouldn’t trade it in for any other sign, which is good since that’s not possible anyway.
On that note, two famous writers/poets with this placement come to mind. The first is Amanda Gorman, who also has her Sun and Jupiter in Pisces, and the second is Maya Angelou.
These two women are great examples of both the gifts of Mercury in Pisces as well as its challenges: they are (were in the case of Angelou) exceptional poets who also struggled with speech and hearing, particularly as children. Amanda Gorman has an audio processing disorder and had a speech impediment as a child and Maya Angelou didn’t talk for five years following a traumatic childhood event.
Obviously I’m biased, but the lives of these women remind me that planets that have “poor dignity” by sign placement as they say in astrology can really turn into a kind of super power.
Go, Mercury in Pisces!
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After an auspicious new moon in Aquarius last month, March bring us a beautiful Pisces “pond.” On March 13, the Sun and Moon are joined by Venus conjunct Neptune, all in watery Pisces. This new moon is calling us to surrender and let ourselves go.
Venus is in the sign of her exaltation in Pisces–it’s in this sign that she promises a chance at boundless joy and beauty, relationships and harmony, romance and enjoyment. Bringing dissolver-of-all-boundaries Neptune into the mix amps this up and adds a dreamy flair of glamour and idealization to whatever seeds are being planted by this new moon.
However, there is a danger here. A stone pulled from this Pisces pond may well look like a glittering gemstone, but once the water dries it may well turn out to be an ordinary rock.
My advice?
Let yourself drift and dream wherever this new moon lands in your chart, but make sure you still stay grounded. Illusions can be beautiful, and this is what Neptune likes to bring, but they cause trouble if they are allowed to become deceptions. The full moon in Libra towards the end of the month will call us to cut off anything that might have gotten out of hand.
In my podcast, I take the Pisces new moon through the houses to give you a feel for what it might bring to you personally. Enjoy!
Tarot reading for the new moon in Pisces
Today I asked the cards what the new moon in Pisces on March 13 will bring us. I pulled three cards and felt compelled to pull a fourth.
The cards show us the Pisces pond indeed: the King and Queen of Cups, the water suit in the deck. Both figures stare off in opposite direction with a dreamy, somewhat unfocused gaze. By the sea, they look content, although you do have to wonder if someone’s spiked the punch.
What exactly are they dreaming?
The Seven of Cups, the card of dreams and longing itself, but also illusion and deception. Here’s where the glittering, misty, intoxicating allure of Neptune comes into the mix.
And what of the fourth card? The Devil?
The message is clear: give yourself over to the Pisces/Neptune energy of this full moon, and you’ll have the chance to revel and become blissfully zonked out like the King and Queen of Cups are here.
However, do not become fixated on whatever comes up. Otherwise you are in danger of becoming a slave to a desire (the Devil card) for something that by its very nature was designed to be fleeting and ephemeral.
XOXO
Rebeccah
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On this episode I describe the natal chart of a famous writer without telling you who it is until the end. I did this first of all because I thought it would fun, but also so I could show you the initial steps you should always take when interpreting a natal chart.
As I mention in the podcast, this writer is famous, no longer alive and wrote in English. I don’t tell you when they lived or their gender because that would make things too easy.
Here’s what their natal chart looks like:
The steps for approaching a natal chart interpretation:
Step 1: Look at the ascendant. The ascendant is the power point located in the first house (abbreviated here as AC) and indicates the sign and degree that was on the eastern horizon at the time of birth. This writer’s ascendant is in Virgo.
Step 2: Find the ruler of the ascendant and note which sign it is in, which house and any major aspects it is making to other planets. Since Mercury rules the sign of Virgo, this writer’s ascendant ruler (Mercury) is in the 8th house in the sign of Aries.
Aries is a Mars-ruled sign, so to better understand what Mercury is all about here, we need to also look at Mars, which is in Gemini in the 10th house. These planets are in what is called mutual reception (i.e. Mars is in a Mercury-ruled sign and Mercury is in a Mars-ruled sign), which strengthens their bond.
In a nutshell, this means this is a person who is direct, not afraid of conflict or heated discussion who is courageous in their actions (or words especially). They do not stay quiet about taboo topics (8th house) and this is something they are publicly known for (10th house).
Step 3: Look at the sun. The sun here is in Taurus in the 9th house. In ancient astrology, they say the 9th is “the house of joy” for the sun. Among other things, the sun stands for intellect, perception and the higher self, which makes it quite at home in the 9th, which is the place of higher learning, religion and philosophy.
Taurus is a Venus-ruled sign, so it’s important to take a peek at Venus. Like Mercury, Venus is in Aries in the 8th house. This suggest again someone who prefers conflict and action over harmony and passivity. Whoever this writer was, they were likely quite a bossy person, but also someone who could get the ball rolling.
These pursuits also work well with the striving of Mars in the 10th because the two planets are in a trine (i.e. flowing and harmonious) aspect to each other. The symbol for the trine aspect in the table is a blue triangle.
This writer’s sun is also in opposition to Jupiter in Scorpio in the 3rd house. Jupiter in the third suggests a positive relationship with (possibly many) siblings and the surrounding area where the writer lives; this relationship is likely to be intellectual and philosophical in nature, but may also be intense and take on an obsessive tone (Scorpio). However, since Jupiter also trines Mars in the 10th (Mars also rules the 3rd), this relationship likely supports the writer’s public reputation and career in some way.
Step 4: Look at the moon. The writer’s moon is in Aquarius in the 6th house conjunct Saturn. This is not an easy placement of the moon. The moon is what makes us feel comfortable and secure; it’s about what nourishes us and mothering in general. It is also a changeable energy that naturally fluctuates, as does the moon. However, in the Saturn-ruled sign of Aquarius conjunct Saturn itself, you could almost say this person’s moon is frozen, and parked in the 6th house, which is the house of illness and drudgery.
In contrast to the hot-headedness of all the Mars-ruled energy, this moon gives the writer a somber, melancholy tone and suggests hardship and sacrifice around mothering and mothers as well. However, both planets also make a trine to Mars in the 10th which suggests that whatever the pain and hardship this moon represents, it still supports the Mars tone of this chart, which is quite significant. Aquarius is also generally a progressive sign that strives to improve the welfare of others, so this might be a battle that Mars takes on as well.
Any guesses who this writer might be? Listen to the podcast and find out. ;)
XOXO
Rebeccah
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Welcome to March 2021 and the beginning of spring!
Photo by Biegun Wschodni on Unsplash
When I was growing up in the Bay Area, spring wasn’t that big of a deal. Sure, there were flowers on the hills, which were a lush green (most of the year they are more golden brown). But winter in that part of California just means around two months of rain (when there’s no drought) and a few days which you might need to wear a cotton scarf and hat because it’s a little nippy out.
Now that I’ve lived in a place for over 20 years where the winters are long and cold and dreary and dark, I understand the true meaning of spring. When the first flowers push their way through the recently thawed ground and the sun appears again in clear skies, you feel like you’ve come alive again after a months-long half slumber.
Astrologically speaking, the spring solstice on March 20 marks the “real” start of the new year–symbolically for those of you who live in the Southern Hemisphere of course.
March does not have the same kind of intensity in astrological aspects and conditions that January and the first half of February had, not to mention all of 2020. But in many ways, this is a good thing. This month has the potential to bring in some relief as well as an almost poetic, intoxicating sense of longing (more on this below). It is also a time where we will be called to examine our relationships, and possibly make changes and cuts at the end of the month.
Here is the breakdown of the astrology of March 2021, including information I didn’t cover in the podcast:
Mercury conjunct Jupiter in Aquarius on March 4: This often symbolizes an announcement of some kind. In the collective, it could be something like financial plans from the government, or something to do with higher education or religion. Since Mercury will be announcing Jupiter’s intentions, whatever the news, the message will be positive and optimistic. Therefore, in your personal life this may be a time when you can expect to hear good news.
Mars enters Gemini on March 5: Mars symbolizes boldness, courage and assertiveness as well as aggression, war and violence. Since Gemini is an air sign ruled by Mercury, any boldness or aggression we see in the world this month is more likely to be done with words rather than fists, for example, courageous speeches on the one hand and propaganda and slander on the other. A positive way to tap into this energy would be to use it to write something or confront someone with words that need to be said–but be careful that your tone doesn’t go below the belt. Mars will be in Gemini until the end of April.
New moon in Pisces on March 13: Like the new moon in Aquarius in February, this Pisces new moon is very powerful and auspicious. The Pisces moon and sun are joined here by a strong Venus in Pisces as well as Neptune. This will spark a beautiful sense of longing in you, a seductive yearning to embark on a quest for the holy grail. Since Venus is here, this will likely be tied up very much with relationships, love, beauty or art. As wonderful as this is, the challenge here will be to still stay grounded and not lose your head to what may turn out to be little more than a beautiful illusion. Since this longing will manifest in your life in different ways depending on where the new moon falls in your chart, I’ll be writing a post about this later, so stay tuned.
Mercury enters Pisces on March 16: Since Mercury went retrograde, it spent around two months in the sign of Aquarius. Aquarius is a progressive and forward-looking sign, but is also very mental and rational. Pisces, on the other hand, is much more emotional and poetic; Aquarius is progressive, yes, but often in an abstract way, but Pisces tends to be more altruistic in a hands-on kind of way. For example, Mercury in Aquarius drafts plans for how to help the poor which they then present to the committee, whereas Mercury in Pisces serves people directly in the soup kitchen where it listens to their woes and perhaps sings them a song it wrote to soothe their troubles. As nice as this may sound, Pisces is the sign of Mercury’s detriment and fall, which means it’s not an easy sign for Mercury to be in. Therefore, during this period, we need to also watch out for miscommunications and unclear thinking. Mercury will be in Pisces until the beginning of April.
Sun enters Aries on March 21: The “Aries ingress” (i.e. the moment the sun enters a sign) each year is a big deal. In Aries, the sun is in its exaltation and therefore very strong. As I mentioned above, the spring equinox is the “astrological new year,” and in mundane astrology (i.e. the astrology of world events) the Aries ingress chart is very important as it becomes the chart that symbolizes how the year will progress for a certain country or region. This chart is cast for the minute the sun enters the sign of Aries, which varies depending on the place. For example, in Washington DC, the sun might enter Aries at 11:45 pm on March 20 and in Paris at 6:32 am on March 21. In each case, the chart cast for that time would describe the fates and fortunes of the United States and France (and more broadly, the EU) until the next Aries ingress in the spring of 2022. I might do a post on this topic later, or point you to another astrologer’s work, as this is a very useful and fascinating technique.
Venus enters Aries on March 22: Venus is Pisces (the sign of exaltation) can be described as the beauty of unconditional love and boundlessness, whereas Venus in Aries (the sign of her detriment) is much more about stating what you want and don’t want in very clear, sometimes even pushy, terms. Aries is a Mars-ruled sign and harmony-loving Venus does not do very well here. Although this may bring about strife in relationships or trouble for a woman in the public eye, the full moon in a few days’ time tells us this may just be what we need.
Mercury square Mars on March 24: As I mentioned in the podcast, this often means times of quarrel and debate, particularly from the side of whoever is playing the more aggressive role of Mars. However, since Mercury rules Gemini, the sign Mars is currently in, it may also mean that Mars will act as a “soldier” for Mercury in Pisces’ altruistic cause. Let’s just hope it’s not one based on illusion or deception, which may be the case when Mercury finds itself in the sign of its detriment and fall.
Full moon in Libra on March 28: So much about March is about Venus and relationships, and the same holds true for the new moon, which is in the Venus-ruled sign of Libra. On this day, Venus is Aries is conjunct the sun; in ancient astrology, this is called being at the “heart of the sun” and symbolizes a time when a planet gets an “audience with the king” (the sun) and has the chance to have their wishes granted. Venus in Aries here is asking us to be bold enough to examine or relationships and how we relate to others. Are there some relationships we need to cut off because we’ve grown out of them or the balance (a very Venusian concept) is off? How do we wish to proceed with how we relate in the future? Beyond personal relationships, what do we need to change about how we approach love, beauty and art? This energy gives us the impulse to explore these questions as well as the courage to make changes where needed. This should be the focus for the next two weeks until the new moon in Aries on April 12.
So that’s all I have to say about the astrology of March.
If you would like hear an astrological forecast for the month for your rising sign, check out this video by Acyuta-bhava Das.
Next week I’ll be back with a mini astrology lesson about terms like “exaltation,” “rulership,” “detriment,” and “fall,” to help you better understand what this means. I’ll also do a podcast and post about the new moon through the houses in the second week of March.
Until then, have a great weekend and all the best.
XOXO
Rebecca
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ageofair.substack.com
Happy Monday everyone!
I started today’s podcast with a short rundown of the astrology for the last week of February 2021. The points worth mentioning for the week are:
Mercury stations direct on February 21
Venus enters the sign of Pisces on February 25
Full moon in Virgo on February 27 (culmination of the auspicious moon cycle that started with the new moon on February 11)
I plan to either write and record a quick podcast to cover the last two points later this week, but the main focus of the podcast is understanding planetary days and hours.
Before we go into more detail about what this means, take a minute to ask yourself the question: What is time?
Photo by M on Unsplash
In most cases, your definition is likely to be similar to the one I found when I google “time definition”. In a nutshell, time is a measurement either of periods or hours, minutes, seconds.
However, what if I told you there is actually an ancient system that speaks to the quality of time?
If you think about it, thinking about time in this way really shouldn’t be surprising. We all have experienced those times when we just couldn’t concentrate no matter how hard we tried, when there was a strange aggressive feeling in the air, or times when we find it easy to communicate or enjoy ourselves as well as times when the opposite is true.
You can analyze theses differences, as well as make choices for when to do what, by using the ancient system of planetary days and hours.
So what are planetary days and hours?
Good questions!
This system and method for measuring the quality of time hails back to the Hellenistic astrology, although it may have its roots in ancient Babylonia.
In this system, each day of the week is assigned to one of the seven classical planets as follows:
Monday is the day of the Moon
Tuesday is the day of Mars
Wednesday is the day of Mercury
Thursday is the day of Jupiter
Friday is the day of Venus
Saturday is the day of Saturn
Sunday is the day of the Sun
This system was one so ubiquitous that it is still reflected in the days of the week. For example, the Romance languages still reflect the Greco-Roman tradition, e.g. lundi, lunes, etc. for Monday (Luna=the moon), but switched the weekend days to indicate “Sabbath” (e.g. sábado) and “the day of the Lord” (e.g. domingo) after the rise of christianity.
In English, we kept Saturn and the Sun for our weekends, and used the names of Germanic deities for the rest of the week, e.g. Thursday which is “Thor’s day,” the Germanic deity that is the equivalent to the Greco-Roman Jupiter/Zeus.
This same system of planets for each day is also reflected in many languages on the Indian subcontinent as well as a number of Southeast Asian language.
However, as the name of this post suggests, this system does more than just give each day of the week to a planet. This same system describing the quality of time is also divided into each hour of the day. Although the break-down of the planetary hours is somewhat complicated (more on that later), how it works as that the first hour at dawn always goes to the planet of that particular day.
For example, at dawn on Saturday, it is the hour and day of Saturn.
After this, the hours follow what is called “Chaldean order”. This describes the classical seven planets from slowest to quickest, and therefore goes as follows: Saturn (the slowest), Jupiter, Mars, the Sun (considered a “planet” in this system, as is the moon), Venus, Mercury, the Moon.
So, in other words, on Saturday (the day of Saturn) we start at dawn with the hour of Saturn which is followed by the hour of Jupiter, Mars, the Sun, Venus, Mercury, the Moon and then Saturn, thus the cycle starts again.
This order is the same no matter what the day, e.g. at dawn on Wednesday (the day of Mercury) we get the hour of Mercury followed by the Moon, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, the Sun, Venus and then Mercury again, which restarts the pattern.
However, as I mentioned above, the hours are not usually split into neat 60 minute intervals (except at the Vernal and Autumnal Equinox). They are divided depending how much light there is during the day. For example, when there is less light in the winter, the daytime planetary hours are less than 60 minutes and the nighttime planetary hours are more than 60 minutes; at times of the year when there is more light, the opposite is true.
Although you could figure out the math and calculate the hours yourself if that’s your kind of thing, I suggest just checking out on of the many free planetary hour calculators or apps, like planetaryhours.net. If you don’t know the symbols for the planets, the sun and moon should be obvious as are Venus and Mars (although most people know these already, what they symbolize are a hand mirror (Venus) and a shield and spear (Mars). Mercury looks like the symbol for Venus with two little horns, Saturn looks like an h with a line through the top and Jupiter looks like the number four.
If that still doesn’t make sense, then just google astrological symbols for the planets and you’ll find them all over the place, but go ahead and ignore the outer planets, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto, which aren’t part of this system.
Ok, that’s kind of interesting, but also abstract and technical. What the heck does it all mean?
As I mentioned above and in the podcast, this system measures the quality of time. What this means is the days and hours of each of the planet have a quality that supports and/or manifests the following:
Day and/or hour of the Sun promotes visibility or vitality. This day and/or hour would be great for asking for a promotion, making a presentation or performance, improving your health or social status. NOT as ideal for work in the background or intense, solitary concentration.
Day and/or hour of the Moon is ideal for doing things that bring you comfort or make you feel nurtured or nurturing towards others. This is a great time to “watch Netflix and chill,” take a long leisurely bath, cook a delicious meal (with lots of butter and cream), indulge in rich desserts or undertake any domestic activity that is not too strenuous. NOT as ideal for doing things that are strenuous, require (unpleasant) levels of concentration or that take you out of your comfort zone.
Day and/or hour of Mercury is deal for abstract thinking, writing, analyzing and rational and logical communication (opps, I think I forget to mention this planet in the podcast!). This is a great time for business transactions or visiting a busy market, which are also ruled by Mercury. NOT as ideal for emotional or artistic communication (more the realm of the moon and Venus. One more thing worth mentioning is that the days/hours of particular planet also carry the quality of that planet’s condition at the time. For example, when Mercury is retrograde, which happens three times a year, the typical miscommunication, technology hiccups and transportation snafus that happen will be particularly pronounced during its days and hours.
Day and/or hour of Venus supports any social occasions, love, marriage, improving your appearance, art and increasing harmony. This is a great time to get a new haircut or shop for new clothes, sing or play a musical instrument, go on a date or socialize in general. NOT as ideal for activities where its important to be assertive or do strenuous exercise (other than the very Venusian sexual intercourse).
Day and/or hour of Mars supports physical exertion, assertiveness and boldness. However, this energy can be confrontational and/or aggressive as well, so its NOT ideal for times where more diplomacy is called for (this would be Venus), rational discussion (Mercury), etc.
Day and/or hour of Jupiter is great for success is all things, great beginning (e.g. for starting a business or project) or financial and spiritual pursuits. In general, you really can’t go wrong with Jupiter, who brings good luck and optimistic buoyancy. However, some caution is advised as Jupiter tends to overdone and is sometimes prone to excess or being overly (i.e. blindly) optimistic.
Day and/or hour of Saturn is great for anything that requires discipline, intense focus and concentration, solitary pursuits and work that is tedious but needs to get done. This energy is also great for working of breaking bad habits and accepting responsibility. NOT ideal for any kind of socializing other than perhaps deep scholarly discussions or anything that needs a light and easy feeling of buoyancy.
If you would like the support of a particular planetary energy, waiting for the day and hour or that planet is best, but if that’s not possible, then shoot for that planet’s hour on any given day.
A few more thoughts about planetary days and hours.
This system really is amazing and can bring a lot into your life. However, don’t just take my word for it. Do a little investigation yourself.
When you notice that the energy in the air is really tense and heavy, or particularly cheerful or pleasant or aggressive and combative, note down the time or take a peek in your planetary hours calculator. Chances are you’ll be able to see a pattern, e.g. the first will be a Saturn-toned day/hour, the second Venusian and/or Jovian and the third Martial. For research purposes and testing the system, I suggest doing it retrospectively like this rather than looking ahead, as this will rule out suggestibility.
Don’t get hung up on tracking the hours compulsively. This system is definitely helpful, but it still not something that should take over your life. However, for important decisions or strategies it can be super helpful.
Want to post something on your blog that gets you attention and comes across as pleasing to your reader? Then shoot for the day and hour of Venus or perhaps the day of the Sun (visibility) and the hour of Venus (pleasing energy).
Need to confront your spouse on a topic that you tend to fight about? Do not do this during the day and hour of Mars! Instead, go out for a jog and have that talk in the hour of Venus or Mercury instead.
Have fun and feel free to share your stories below.
XOXO
Rebeccah
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ageofair.substack.com
Welcome to the third week of February!
It’s finally here, that aspect we’ve been feeling build up pretty much since Saturn entered Aquarius on December 27, 2020 (with a little preview last spring and early summer):
Saturn square Uranus
So what happens when the planet of boundaries, limitations, authority, rules and regulations, establishment institutions and maturity (Saturn) comes into a tense aspect with the planet of sudden change, innovation, invention, revolution and chaos?
Protest and lots of it!
However, be careful that you don’t put one planet in the role of the good guy and one in the role of the bad guy. Sure, authoritarian figures such as Putin are taking the role of Saturn in his more negative form and the Russian citizens who have taken to the streets to protest the imprisonment of the opposition leader Alexei Navalny are definitely following the Uranian spirit.
But the same energy can be seen when the US Government (Saturn) talks about restricting and regulating Wall Street or the tech industry, the later of which is basically the Uranian poster child (disrupt, innovate at breakneck speed, pick up the piece of what you break later or don’t because who cares? – this is basically the battle cry of both Uranus and Silicon Valley).
These days, the examples of this dynamic are truly endless.
Saturn square Uranus will be exact on February 17.
In my podcast, I talk about what this might mean collectively (also in terms of the Corona virus) as well as personally. If you haven’t listened to my New Moon in Aquarius podcast, please do as this will also give you a more in-depth feel for how these planets will be influencing you for the rest of the year – no doubt about it, 2021 is the year of Saturn (tensely) meets Uranus!
I also talk about the other interesting aspect of the week: Venus square Mars on February 20. In this aspect, Venus definitely has the upper hand – in fact, Mars will basically be acting like her soldier Valentine. Listen to find out more.
Tarot for Saturn square Uranus
I don’t even need to pull a card to know which image in the tarot speaks to the energy of Saturn square Uranus. In my mind, the answer is obvious:
The Tower card.
Take a look at the images on the Tower card from my three favorite decks (in case you’re wondering, I have six decks in all, although I’m sure that number will increase in the future ;) ). In each case, a tower struck is by lightening (or a weird flower flame thing), and figures fall off the top, presumably to their doom.
Lightening is the perfect symbol for the sudden Uranian impulse – astrologers tend to compare Uranus’s energy to electricity.
And the tower? It doesn’t get more Saturnian than a lonely fortress tower that has been standing, solid and true, for centuries.
But what’s really happening here? Has the tower been destroyed? No yet, although in the Marseille tarot, its crown has been knocked off its “head.”
And what of the figures? Are they hapless victims, or did their own carelessness cause their fall? After all, everyone knows you shouldn’t stand up on a roof near the lightening rods during a thunderstorm.
However, it’s not wise to simply retreat into the tower either. They say lightening never strikes the same place twice, but you never know. Besides, to shake old Saturn up, Uranus may very well hit that tower next with an Earthquake.
My advice? When it comes to Saturn and Uranus, balance is called for. In 2021 – and particularly whenever this square is exact, as it will be on February 17 and two more times later in the year – do not cling to the security of the past, trying to restore things to the way they once were. Change is already here: don’t resist it.
However, don’t become impatient and work to knock things down yourself at a pace you might later regret, or that are in danger of spiralling out of control.
The best solution?
Get the hell out of the tower and run for the hills. That’s probably where Saturn in Aquarius is building up new structures, maybe even tiny houses off the grid which Uranus and Taurus would most definitely be down for.
Let the Tower card stand for Uranus challenging structures and institutions that already began to crumble when Saturn met up with Pluto last year in Capricorn – and crumble they must. Goodbye age of Earth, hello age of Air.
In Aquarius, Saturn is very strong. The planet is in one of its best, most forward-looking placements, offering us the chance to build positive new structure – and he will prevail. Saturn is making what is called a superior square to Uranus, which means he ultimately has the upper hand. Uranus is here to shake things up and challenge them, which may be just what we need. But he still won’t win in the end.
When the lightening bolts are hurled and the Earth trembles, just make sure you don’t get stuck in the middle. The Tower of Babel fell for a reason. Don’t become too rigid. Stand back and let change happen. Feel free to lift your voice, but don’t explode and go too far.
One more thing: watch out for falling bricks.
XOXO
Rebeccah
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ageofair.substack.com
On February 11, a powerful and very unusual new moon will take place. What makes it unusual is the sheer number of planets in the sign of Aquarius: six out of the seven visible planets.
It’s quite rare to have a stellium–as it’s called in astrology–of this size in any sign; the last time a new moon of this magnitude happened in the sign of Aquarius was on February 5, 1962. That one even outdid this one because Mars jumped in with the Aquarian crowd and there was a solar eclipse. Very intense!
However, what the mega Aquarian new moon on February 11 has that the one in the 60s didn’t have is the beautiful Venus Jupiter conjunction. In traditional astrology, Venus and Jupiter are considered the “benefic” planets, and having them meet up together like that in the new moon brings in a very auspicious aspect.
Since all of these Aquarius planets will fall into one house in your chart if you use the whole sign chart system, as I do, one very specific part of your life will be the focus here. That’s why I decided to skip talking about this new moon in the collective and instead take you through the different houses so that you might get a feel for the opportunities and focus it will highlight in your own life.
The planets in the Aquarian new moon stellium
The six planets in Aquarius in this new moon are the sun, moon, Saturn, Mercury, Venus and Jupiter, which are also conjunct as I mentioned above. However, the planet that really sets the tone here and has the final say is Saturn.
Why?
Because Saturn rules the sign of Aquarius, which makes his position very strong. Since all of the other planets are also in Aquarius, you could consider them his “guests.” When you’re the guest in someone’s home, you are in their space and have to follow their rules, so Saturn is the guy in charge here.
Saturn in Aquarius brings out the more positive sides of this planet. What he’s asking us to do here is focus on building new structures and laying a new foundations in whatever part of your life is represented by the house this new moon occurs in. Since this is Saturn we’re talking about, the approach taken here involves a sense of commitment and seriousness about working hard about whatever realm is being highlighted here.
The other Aquarian planets support Saturn in his intentions as follows:
Sun and Moon: purpose and your needs to feel comforted and comfortable are aligned with this goal; since these two planets meet up in the same sign, as they always do during a new moon, they are planting the seed that will develop over this moon cycle and beyond.
Mercury Retrograde: As I spoke about in my last podcast, Mercury Retrograde asks us to review our past actions and thoughts and make changes and adjustments where necessary. In this case, it will focus on whatever the Aquarius-ruled house in your chart represents.
Venus and Jupiter: Venus here could focus on building new relationship patterns and greater harmony in the Aquarius-ruled house and Jupiter calls you to meet these challenge with vision and optimism. As I mentioned earlier, having these planets conjunct in this new moon is extremely auspicious. Basically, what this means is that if you heed Saturn’s call to reexamine and restructure the area of your life the house these planets fall in and put in the hard work, you will be rewarded and fortunate in these matters in the end.
Although the main focus will be over this two-week moon cycle, the work will continue. If you get serious and commit to the work Saturn is asking for, you will reap the rewards around the time of the Aquarius full moon, which will take place of August 22.
Mars and Uranus in Taurus
Still in Capricorn, Pluto doesn’t really come into the equation here. However, Mars and Uranus are still in Taurus. Although neither of them is making an exact aspect to the Aquarian crew, they are both in a sign-based square, which means they are bringing some tension and conflict into the new moon.
So what does this mean?
It means that these planets will be bringing in some impatience and possibly annoyance and anger. Saturn is slow and methodical, and both of these planets like to act quickly without taking much time to think. Uranus calls for innovation, disruption and revolution and does not like Saturn’s structured, more conservative approach, and may seek to counteract them with a rebellious spirit.
However, Saturn is the clear winner here. Partly this is because his Aquarian posse outguns Uranus and Mars, who is not very strong in Taurus. Another reason is because Aquarius is in what is called the superior square position. This is a method in traditional astrology that describes who has the upper hand in any aspect except the opposition.
What this means is that Mars and Uranus will have the chance to make some noise and buzz around a bit like an angry wasp, but Saturn will ultimately emerge the winner. Where this anger, stress or impatience is coming from will depend on the house these two planets will be in on the day of the new moon in your particular chart.
The new moon through the houses
In my podcast, I go through the new moon in the houses by rising sign. This will show you what area of life is highlighted by this new moon and will be where you should put in the work that will pay off in the end.
If you don’t know your rising sign, go to a website like astro.com and enter your birthdate, birth place and time of birth. The house with Aquarius on the cusp will be indicated by this symbol.
Please note that this won’t work without the exact time of birth, as this is what determines your rising sign and houses. Therefore, you really need to take the time listed on your birth certificate rather than your mom’s tip that you were born “around noon.”
In the Western world, birth times are included on birth certificates. However, if you were born in a place where this was not the norm or the information what left out for some reason, you can still do something called chart rectification. For this, an astrologer tracks major events in your life to determine your correct rising sign. Although I don’t offer this service, you could reach out to astrologers like Leisa Schaim if you are interested.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ageofair.substack.com
Welcome to the second week of February!
Still very much a hard time of the year for my California soul, even after living over 20 years in a place that actually has winter. My birthday is on February 16 and it took moving to Berlin to realize I was not born in the spring, but rather in the very heart of winter.
“Winter” in the Bay Area generally means around six to eight weeks of rain and chilly days where you might need to wear a cotton scarf or something that could be described in very loose terms as a “coat,” but this period was generally over by the time my birthday rolled around.
Oh February, how you’ve disappointed me!
Joking aside, the second week of February is a week that, as a writer, is very close to my heart because it’s calling us to make revisions on several levels when Mercury retrograde meets up with other planets.
The aspects I mention on the podcasts are:
Mercury retrograde conjunct the Sun on February 8 (at around 20 degrees of Aquarius, which echoes where the planet was on January 22)
Mercury retrograde square Mars on February 10 (at around 18 degrees of Aquarius, which echoes where the planet was on January 20)
Mercury retrograde conjunct Venus on February 13 (at around 15 degrees of Aquarius, which echoes where the planet was on January 18)
Mercury retrograde conjunct Jupiter on February 14 (at around 14 degrees of Aquarius, which echoes where the planet was on January 17/18)
I will be doing a separate podcast about next week’s new moon in Aquarius which I will publish here on Monday, February 8 – so stay tuned!
Tarot reading for Mercury retrograde
As I’ve mentioned before, I think astrology and tarot compliment each other in really great ways.
At its best, astrology is highly technical and analytical, a truly left-brain, abstract pursuit. The art of the system is synthesising the vast amounts of information into a coherent form. To do so effectively you need to be skilled at choosing the details that matter and bring them into a whole, otherwise you really run the risk of missing the forest for the trees.
But tarot? The language of tarot is poetry; the cards are storytellers who speak in images and symbols. It’s important to know the traditional meanings of the cards, but it’s equally important to completely throw them out the window at times.
In many ways, tarot is about seeing what is there each time you lay the cards and then describing it in simple terms – easier said than done. To do this, it’s important not to get stuck on “this card means that, and that card means this,” but you also don’t want to go completely of the rails.
Ok, the lecture is over for now, let’s move on to the readings.
Here are the cards I pulled for the question, “What should we learn from the Mercury retrograde cycle?”
The first card I pulled was the page of rods. Rods (also called wands) are the suit that correspond to the element of fire. The page in this card is looking to the future; he has new, exciting ideas and would like to push them through, perhaps even fight for them. Look how firmly he holds the rod, which can quickly be used as a weapon if the need arises. Like fire, rods want to move, and can become impatient when blocked.
But the page’s exuberant quest is indeed blocked by none other than the King of Swords. Could Saturn in Aquarius be creeping in here? Among its positive qualities, Saturn signifies maturity and authority. A king definitely has more experience and authority than a page and a sword (whose suit is ruled by the element of air) could easily chop that flimsy rod right in two. Since Mercury is in Aquarius, he is a “guest” in the home of Saturn bound to follow the planet’s rules.
Which way in the king looking? To the past, in retrograde motion if you will.
So what’s the message here? The spark of inspiration (fire) and new ideas are all well and good, but to truly grow into their own you need to review them mentally (air) and makes changes and adjustments as needed. A hot-headed page can only grow into a king once this is done.
This message, the wisdom and necessity of revision and revisiting in order to grow and progress, is carried out by the third card: the Earth-ruled size of pentacles, which stands for the value of hard work and discipline. Heed this call and spend this retrograde cycle to reflect on and test ideas that started in the middle of January.
I pulled cards for Mercury retrograde’s aspects to the planets as well, but this reading here already sums it up perfectly. What is being revised and with whom varies depending on the planet involved. Listen to the podcast if you’d like to know more.
As for me, the revision message is clear: I’m getting my butt in the chair to work on revising my novel. Wish me luck in this endeavour as I wish you luck in yours.
XOXO
Rebeccah
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ageofair.substack.com
And so a new month begins…
In many ways, February will continue what January introduced, although the month is slightly less intense (thank god!)
Here are the aspects I mentioned in this episode:
Venus joins the Aquarian committee when she enters the sign of Aquarius on February 1
Venus conjunct Saturn on February 6
Venus square Uranus on February 7
The Sun square Mars on February 1
When I babbled on about my revelation about the direction I want to take my life in the beginning of the the podcast, I forgot to mention that this very much had to do with the Sun conjunct Jupiter aspect which perfected on January 29, but was definitely close enough that it could be felt during the full moon.
Editing podcasts is a big pain, especially since I still talk too fast, so I thought I’d just mention this here rather than redo that part of the recording.
Hope you also got the chance to do some positive-yet-intense soul searching under these aspects around the full moon as well!
p.s. If you’d like to watch a video where an astrologer breaks down these transits in a clearer, more down-to-Earth way than I’m yet able to do, check out this video by Acyuta-bhava.
Tarot Reading for the First Week of February
For this reading, I decided to ask the cards to tell me what each of the aspects I mention in the podcast are trying to teach us this week.
For the Sun square Mars, I pulled the seven of cups, for Venus in Aquarius I pulled the Temperance card, for Venus conjunct Saturn I pulled the Ace of Pentacles and for Venus square Uranus I pulled the Moon card.
What I find interesting about this spread is the sandwich effect it has between thinking colored too much by desire and fear as opposed to rational, balanced thinking which approaches what is whether than how we wish things were.
The first card, the seven of cups, speaks to our desire to see “reality” from our own individual perspective and name this “the truth” when in fact it has much more to do with our own subjective opinions and cultural conditioning.
Who’s right about reality, the Sun in Aquarius or Mars in Taurus? How you feel (feel because this is the suit of cups) about this likely has more to do with social media algorithms and media source echo chambers rather than the actual state of affairs.
So how can we move out of this and gain a better sense of clarity?
The card I pulled for Venus in Aquarius seems to be offering a solution: temperance, or contemplative moderation.
Take a good look at this card. The angel pictured is not flying to the heavens; their wings may be spread, but their feet are still very much on the ground. One foot is dipped into the pond and the figure is calmly pouring water from one cup to another. This means they are not entirely detached from the emotional nature of the situation at hand (signified by water) but are still able to remain rational and observant rather than become overwhelmed by the fears surrounding these emotions (moon) or lose their clarity of thought (seven of cups).
Remember that Venus is the fifth visible planet to join the Aquarius committee. She was preceded first by Saturn, who entered Aquarius for good on December 17, then Jupiter on December 19, Mercury on January 8 and the Sun on January 19. At this point, we should have a good feel for the inspiration (the Star card, which traditionally is assigned to Aquarius) and call for change of this Aquarian energy that ushered into the new elemental age of air.
In this card, Venus entering Aquarius seems to be calling for pause and harmonize the needs and (perhaps unconscious) emotions of both sides of the equation.
Notice there are two cups here, not just one. However, the cup in the angel’s left hand does not appear to be emptying and the one in its right hand is not overflowing. Instead, the card calls for the quiet beauty of a controlled and contemplative sense of unity.
But where will this lead us?
If you look closely at the the Temperance card, you will see a path leading from the mountains in the distance. Although perhaps picturesque, this could also represent an arduous journey we had to embark upon to reach this pond (or one that still have ahead of us should we choose to turn around). Will we turn around and head to the mountains, or will we cross over the pond into a new, still unseen world?
Since this figure is an angel, why not simply fly?
If you look at the next card, the one I pulled for Venus conjunct Saturn, this seems to be the case.
Notice the mountains through the gate of this lovely garden, which appear further away and less treacherous than in the Temperance card, although it’s still not entirely clear if we’ve crossed them or simply flew further away.
Yes, this garden is walled off and has a clear gate and boundary (Saturn) but it is also beautiful (Venus), with blooming flowers: two different kinds, both flourishing, perhaps watered individually with each of the cups of the preceding card.
I take this card to represent a celebration of the beauty of Saturn in Aquarius’s plans for rebuilding and restructuring the world in a way that bring a new sense of wealth and security (Ace of Pentacles) that still remains “up in the clouds”, casting its radiance onto this lovely garden from above, as is fitting for material values (Pentacles) as they will increasingly be defined in the new age of air.
However, as much as Venus may like it to be the case, we are definitely not yet in this garden.
Saturn is slow, and many of these plans to rebuild will gradually roll out and may not bear much fruit until he moves from Aquarius to Pisces in March of 2023 or, in a deeper sense, until Jupiter and Saturn complete their 20-year cycle and meet up again in the sign of Libra in September, 2040.
Saturn may be many things, but speedy he is not.
As for Venus, despite her striving for unity, balance and togetherness with a somewhat somber tone when she enters Aquarius at the beginning of the month, she will still have to deal with a square from the rebellious Uranus.
For this aspect, I pulled the Moon card.
This card echoes the Temperance card in many ways. Again, we have a path and on each side of the path a different dog is howling their own howl at the moon, each hound dwelling in its own castle.
A crayfish is emerging from the pond to do what? Pinch each of these noisy dogs? Or will this shy creature return to the depths, too afraid to venture onto dry land?
The Temperance card (Venus in Aquarius) is calm; the angel is performing its balancing act under the warm rays of the sun.
But the scene here (one perhaps taking place at the other side of the pond?) is at night under the full moon. Do the animals here represent our animal natures, not willing to cross the path, insisting my castle is the best castle, with a potentially aggressive version of this nature lurking in the waters? If so, are they wild because they don’t know any better or because this is what they want?
If this card represents the unconscious and irrational, anxiety and fear, as the Moon card does traditionally, then what are these dogs howling at and what is drawing the crayfish out of the water?
The moon.
And what does the moon represent if not change itself, that which Uranus brings into our lives whether we like it or not?
Whew.
Quite a ride. Hope you could take away something from that.
Until next week,
XOXO
Rebeccah
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Welcome to February 2021!
Although this month is a very significant month for the year, it is not (necessarily) as stressful and loaded as January, which is good news. I for one found January really tough. Hope it was easier on you!
In this overview, I only focused on two of the most important astrological events in February 2021, the new moon and Saturn square Uranus, which I analyze from both a collective and personal perspective. Here are the dates to keep in mind:
February 11, New Moon in Aquarius. On this day, there will be a very rare pile up of nearly all the visible planets in one sign, in this case Aquarius. Only Mars will in another sign (Taurus). Taurus makes a sign based square to Aquarius, so Mars might be complaining and doing his best to cause trouble, but he doesn’t have much power here, so in the end all his likely achieve is just making some annoying noise (more on this in the podcast).
February 17, Saturn square Uranus aspect perfects. Although we definitely already felt this energy in January, the square between Saturn and Uranus will be perfecting (i.e. becoming exact) on this day. This aspect between these planets will happen three times this year, so pay attention to what happens on this day to get a preview of what might come up the next two times around.
(For any astro nerds out there, I made a mistake when I mentioned that Mars is squaring Venus on February 11. This aspect will be applying, which means we will already be able to feel it and it will be gaining strength, but it actually won’t be exact until February 20. I noticed the mistake when I listened to the replay, but I was too lazy to take it out as it doesn’t make a huge difference in what I had to say).
I’ll be back in a couple of days with the astrological forecast for the first week of February as well as a tarot reading. In the meantime, enjoy this picture of snow in the Alps which I took last year in Bavaria. We always go skiing there for a week during the winter school holidays (or rather my husband and daughters go skiing and I go for walks and read and write) but it got cancelled this year thanks to Covid.
Sigh.
This too will someday pass…
XOXO
Rebeccah
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ageofair.substack.com
So we’ve come at last to the end of what has been not the easiest month.
Lots of intense energy in January, and I definitely felt some of it personally, but luckily it is also one of the hardest months of the year astrologically-speaking. Here’s hoping that February let’s up a little!
In the podcast, the astrological aspects I mentioned for the final week of January 2021 are:
Sun square Uranus on January 26
Full Moon in Leo in opposition to Saturn and Jupiter and square Mars and Uranus on January 28 (this will likely not be the most easy going day to say the least…)
Venus conjunct Pluto on January 28
Sun conjunct Jupiter of January 29
Mercury goes retrograde in Aquarius on January 30 (for any astro nerds out there, I said this will happen at 28 degrees, but it’s actually at 26 degrees 29 to be exact.)
If you have any thoughts or questions, do feel free to share in the comment below.
Tarot reading for the final week of January
For this last week of January 2021 (a month which certainly did feel like 2020 2.0!), I asked two questions.
The first question was for a general three card spread about what the week ahead holds. The second was what we can expect and/or take away from the intense full moon on January 28.
The general cards I pulled for the week were the eight of rods, the ten of swords and the six of pentacles.
The first thing I noticed here were the sequence of numbers: three even numbers, although not pulled in sequence. A
lthough the numbers of the minor arcana are interpreted in different ways depending on the element of the suit (wands are fire, swords are air, cups are water and pentacles are Earth), they still generally symbolize a particular principle. Six stands for communication, eight means movement, ten means completion or the need to move beyond.
Since they represent fire, wands imply both swiftness and movement. Like fire itself, this energy is energetic and forward-moving, but also sometimes rash and difficult to contain.
However, the eight of wands has found its goal, and is propelling towards it with new found speed. Overall a nice energy to have next week as it will help inspire us move forward both in our personal lives and in the collective.
As I mentioned above, swords stand for air, and air is mental in nature. I interpret the ten of swords her as a tendency towards despair and overly negative thinking. This card can also signify painful and abrupt endings that can send you reeling. Not a great energy to be sure, but it’s important to keep in mind that when the ten of swords comes into play, whatever this painful situation is, it will seem worse than it will likely turn out to be in the end.
I think this is especially the case considering that the next card in the six of pentacles. The six of pentacles stand for generosity, charity and giving, in a material or value sense since this is an Earth-ruled suit. But a hierarchy exists within this card. It’s about the rich giving to the poor, the king bestowing gift onto his subjects, the haves distributing to the have-nots.
Although this could be interpreted literally (e.g. a billionaire making a generous donation to a charity), it could also represent something like a person sharing their knowledge and skills with others or an act emotional generosity a parent shows their child.
Will these be three distinct groups, will they be interconnected or will they be emotional and material states that proceed one after another? We shall see.
I do find it interesting that three things are missing here: the suit of cups and the even numbered cards 2 and 4.
Two and four stand in general for union and structure and cups, which are ruled by the element of water, stand for formlessness and passivity that can lead us towards inner joy. Although that’s not in the cards for next week, let’s hope that’s what lies in store for us, but still needs time to germinate and manifest.
Reading for the full moon on January 28
For the intense full moon on January 28, I aptly pulled the moon, the two of swords and the Hierophant.
The two of swords shows a blindfolded figure holding two swords crossed at their chest. But it’s important to point out that this figure is not being held prisoner; in fact, they tied the blindfold across their eyes themselves. The two of swords stands for indecision as well as the impulse to “turn a blind eye” to that which is at hand and, eventually, must be faced.
To the right, in the moon and to the left, the Hierophant.
The decision here?
Considering the astrology baked into this full moon, I would interpret this as the urge to break free from established groups and institutions, especially those of a religious of spiritual nature (Hierophant) and follow your own intuition. This is a positive interpretation of the moon card energy, which also can stand for times of (emotional and inner) uncertainty, anxiety and illusion.
I would suggest exploring these topics on this day, but try not to take things too seriously if you still feel to confused and vulnerable to act (this is also most definitely the two of swords).
As challenging as this full moon is, as is always the case, this will be a good time to exam what you have achieved and/or what has come to fruition since this moon cycle began on January 13 and what you should now release or cast off because it has outlived its purpose.
See you again in February.
XOXO
Rebeccah
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ageofair.substack.com
The third week of January only has two major aspects to mention, but boy are they big ones. They are:
Jupiter square Uranus on January 17
Mars conjunct Uranus on January 20
In the podcast I go over last week’s aspects a bit and then move on to these two might bring.
My father was a chemical engineer and, when I was a teenager, I used to sometimes ask him what he was up to at work. Whenever I did, he would inevitably say something like, “Well, we’re working hard and getting the catalyst collators to transcript with the jewel calibration on our electron microscope interfaces.”
Ok, so I totally made those words up, but that’s what it always sounded like to me, i.e. super technical and completely incomprehensible to the average Joe/Jill who knew nothing about chemical engineering whatsoever, which was me both then and now.
If you feel like this after listening to my podcast (e.g. What the heck is an aspect,? What do you mean by the houses? etc.) please do let me know. I plan to write some “astro basics” texts at some point, and it would be helpful to get feedback to help me gauge what it is people would like to know.
Until then, stay safe and see you next week.
XOXO
Rebecccah
The tarot reading for January 16 to January 23
For this week, I decided to ask the cards what the week ahead will bring. I drew three cards initially and then a fourth.
The first three cards I pulled were the 9 of Swords, the Tower and the King of Swords.
Swords are the mental cards of the tarot, and I think it’s significant that I pulled three of them. Whatever ends up happening next week, it’s going to get us thinking and into our heads.
The nine of swords speaks to anxiety, worry, negative thinking, even nightmares, the tower upheaval, chaos, the sudden destruction of something that was not built on solid ground. The King of Swords stands for mental clarity in action, a person of authority and respect with a keen awareness of the rules and structures who is willing to fight for the truth.
In many ways, I think this card perfectly represents the blend of Jupiter, Saturn and Mercury in Aquarius: authority, structures, rules, respect combined with a sense of Justice (Jupiter) and a keen intellect (Mercury). I’m happy to see this card here, because it has the strength to stand up to whatever upheaval the Tower (Uranus?) brings. This is a card of action that will help ensure we do no only get locked into the mental anguish signified by the nine of swords.
This combination could manifest either in the outward world (next week will be inauguration week in the US, after all…) or in your inner world as a reaction to negative sudden events or chaotic situations.
The final card I pulled was the four of swords. I would interpret this card as speaking to a necessary rest and recuperation after the “battle” that took place this week, either literally or figuratively.
Since this reading is rather intense, and next week’s energy has lots of potential for volatility and even violence, I thought I’d do one more reading to see what the cards suggested we do to help us get through the week if things do get intense.
The cards I pulled were the Lovers and the seven of cups.
I have to admit, I laughed when I saw these cards because it seemed to me what the tarot was suggesting for getting through next week was “sex and booze.”
However, although that can also help in days of strife, this reading could also speak to defining and discovering your own truth and allowing yourself to connect, communicate and be vulnerable with others in the process (the Lovers) while making sure you don’t allow yourself the temptation of being drawn into a beautiful web of illusion and wishful, overly idealistic thinking and/or shiny opportunities that will lose their allure once the illusion wears off (seven of cups).
Feel free to decide which interpretation you prefer, but if you do drink, it won’t hurt to stock up on some nice wine just in case. ;)
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Hi everyone,
Here’s my astrological forecast for the second week of January 2021. The aspects I talk about here are:
Mercury square Mars (Jan 9)
Mercury conjunct Saturn (Jan 10)
Mercury conjunct Jupiter (Jan 11)
Mercury square Uranus (Jan 12)
(Lots of Mercury action this week as you can see!)
The new moon in Capricorn on January 13 (with several difficult aspects baked in)
I was planning on writing a text where I make some suggestions for how to effectively use the challenging energy of this moon cycle in your life, but then I discovered this video by the astrologer Acyuta-bhava Dasa where he provides some great suggestions for this. He also breaks down the tension this month and the meaning of Saturn in Aquarius square Mars in a really clear way.
Anyway, watch the video if your interested in any of those topics. I also really recommend Acyuta’s videos in general. His approach to astrology is more spiritual than I personally prefer, but he’s definitely an excellent astrologer who also comes across as a really decent, down to Earth guy, which is refreshing. He’s always one of my go-to astrologers for quality content, so check out his channel and subscribe.
Speaking of astrologers I admire, Nina Gryphon also posted a very interesting video about the Saturn square Uranus aspect that will play a major part this year as well as next year to a slightly lesser extent. One thing she mentioned that I found interesting was that the dynamic is also about the “tension between authoritarianism and lawlessness.”
Since this is a patrons-only video, I don’t feel like it would be right to say too much more. However, I do highly suggested becoming a patron of her work, which you can do here and then watch the video for yourself.
Tarot reading for the second week of January
For this week, I asked the cards what everyone should focus on next week, an important question since the week will kick off an intense moon cycle with some challenging energy that will continue past the full moon on January 28.
Although I pulled the cards several days before I watched Acyuta’s video, I’m really struck by how much it resonates with what he had to say.
The fool card (second card I drew) I would interpret to represent this new age of air we are embarking on. Yes, things are uncertain and tensions are–and will continue–to fly high for January as well as the rest of the year. However, the fool speaks to us remembering that exciting new changes are also on the horizon. They may be painful, come in a wake of instability, some things may fade away and fall to the side; in general, we humans are not so fond of change. But there is so much potential for amazing new beginnings if we allow ourselves to stumble forward and remain open to the potential of what we might find even if we don’t yet know what that is (very fool-like energy!).
However, like Acyuta mentioned, this week is not the time to go and shout your ideas of “foolish” excitement on the mountain. As he suggests, in the midst of the heavier, more intense energy, try as much as you can to focus on this excitement in a grounded-yet-private and joyful way (Queen of Pentacles).
The other three cards I pulled were all cups. Cups stand for the element of water. This is a yin energy that represent formlessness and passivity, but not in the negative sense. In her book Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom, Rachel Pollack write that water “stands for the inner being, and that slow coming to life of a seed.” A very fitting image for a week with a new moon, even if it is a difficult one.
The first cup card I drew was the six of cups, then the four and ten of cups. As always, I initially only meant to choose three cards, but the four of cups basically jumped out of the deck when I took out the six and the ten called out “pick me, pick me, pick me!” at the end when I assumed I had already pulled the cards I meant to pull.
Rather than read these cards one by one, I think it makes sense to read them as a unit.
The six of cups can be interpreted as nostalgia for the past, an energy that can tend towards rose-colored glasses thinking whereas the four of cups speaks to someone who is hesitant to move forward, perhaps because of negative past experience, especially of an emotional or ingrained nature (water). This hesitancy and apathy is preventing this person from moving forward; they are both blind to the value of the three cups they already possess and are incapable of seizing the opportunity that is on offer (the fourth cup).
What I find striking here is also what is missing: the two and the eight of cups, the remaining two even numbered cards in this suit.
The two of cups brings union, in this case between the overly optimistic and overly pessimistic energy of the six and the four of the cups.
The eight of cups is about sensing when something has come to an end and moving on, even if that choice is painful and hard to make.
These two cards are the next step towards reaching the ten of cups.
In short, this coming week, take some time to try to stay open to the positive sides of change and be aware of the need to balance being overly positive and idealistic or overly negative and fatalistic. Although we aren’t there yet (the two of eight of cups are still missing), the goal remains the final card, the ten of cups, which Rachel Pollack describes as a “surge of joy”.
A very nice reading for what is going to be a very tense week astrologically and collectively.
I hope it inspires you to go inward this week and not to buckle under the intensity and pressure that will be in the air this coming week as well as the rest of the month.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ageofair.substack.com
Happy New Year everyone!
Isn’t it great to see the end of 2020?
I know that I’m definitely more than ready to embark on a new year.
As I mentioned in my January forecast, 2021 will be year that has some challenges astrologically speaking, but it definitely will not be as dramatically horrible as last year was–thank god!
Here is my astrological forecast for the first week of January 2021.
The important points I mentioned are:
January 5: Mercury in Capricorn conjunct Pluto
January 6: Mars moves into Taurus
January 8: Mercury moves into Aquarius, Venus moves into Capricorn
January 9: Venus trine Mars
I apologize in advance that I seem to be overly fond of sprinkling “sort of” in my speech all the time. I’m new to this podcasting racket, so a bit of a learning curve is to be expected, also in my presentation.
Any comments, questions or feedback are most welcome, so please ask or share away.
In the meantime, I wish you all a great start to 2021. Below I’ve also presented the tarot reading I did for the first week for you to read through if you like.
XOXO
Rebeccah
p.s. Here’s a link to the video I mentioned by the astrologer Nina Gryphon.
Tarot reading for the first week of January 2021
I pulled three cards for the first week on January: the five of pentacles reversed, the seven of pentacles and the Hanged Man reversed.
I would interpret the five of pentacles as 2020 in general. This was a time of loss and great fear and all of us have emerged weary and battle scarred, although some much more than others. Since the card is reversed, I think the fear and sense of collapse and disorder is even stronger. This is most certainly not a positive card and may represent the PTSD we will continue to experience even when things start to take a turn for the better.
However, the seven of pentacles provides a more hopeful picture. With this card, we can look back to the past year with a sense of what has stayed standing and strong and what accomplishments we made.
Although 2020 was marked by loss and restriction, we also learned many things; we were forced to seek out new ways of working and communicating and some of them worked out much better than we may have assumed (think Zoom and home office).
The shock and struggle we all experienced last year was terrible, for some more than others, but it has also helped put things in perspective in many ways and remind is of what it is that really matters.
I’ve always found the Hanged Man a mysterious card. Although “hanged” has negative connotations, you can see by the figure’s face that he is serene and not suffering. Perhaps this card speaks to that what I mentioned above: all that waiting and restriction and sacrifice we had to deal with in 2020 may pay off in that we have a surer sense of which direction we would like to go and what new steps will need to be made to rebuild the world.
The man in the image is still bound, so the time to move on is not yet at hand, but our thoughts this week can and should be focused on the year ahead in the context of what we have learned and gone through in the past–quite fitting for the first week of January in general, and particularly after a historic year like 2020.
I wish you all a good start to the new year.!
I’ll be back next week with more insights on January 2021, week two.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ageofair.substack.com
Happy New Year everyone!
I hope you all weathered the storms of 2020 well and are ready to embark on 2021. I know I’m not alone in being thrilled to see the end of what was one hell of a year. Astrologically speaking, 2021 still has its challenges, but it won’t be as dramatic and disastrous as 2020.
If nothing else, 2020 is at least a very hard year to top. The year ahead will have some high points, especially in the spring and early fall.
But more on that later. For now, let’s focus on the astrological forecast for January 2021, which I’ve just released in podcast form. I will also do a week-by-week podcast to look at the important points in detail, so stay tuned.
Before I looked into the astrology for the month, I did a tarot reading where I asked for three cards that signify what January will bring.
I didn’t specify any order or specific questions, just asked for general information to get a feel for what lies ahead. Once I pulled the three cards, I felt compelled to draw a fourth.
The first three cards I drew were the 8 of pentacles, the ten of pentacles and the Hermit; the fourth card was the five of rods.
Although the Hermit card is often used to signify the sign of Virgo, I think the card also is the perfect fit for Saturn in Aquarius, which plays a big role in January as well as the next three years in general.
I go into more detail about this in the podcast, but in a nutshell, Saturn is more comfortable and at ease in the sign of Aquarius, where he is much more forward-looking and seeks to create new, lasting structures to replace those which have crumbled following his time in Capricorn.
The Hermit is alone on a hill, barefoot in the snow and shining a light on the past so that we might learn and go forward and rebuild that which has not stood up against the test of time.
I interpret the 8 of pentacles here as the work we have to put in to create these new structures and approaches, particularly as they pertain to the new elemental age of air. These are not changes that will happen overnight, but rather ones that will require hard work and effort.
The goal?
The 10 of pentacles, in other words, creating a (vision for) rebuilding a lasting foundation for a sustainable future and bringing a new sense of well-being to the world that has been shocked to its core by the pandemic and resulting (and still approaching) financial instability it leaves in its wake.
However, when I looked later at the astrology, it made sense that the 4 of rods also needed to be drawn. Thanks to squares from Uranus and Mars which come up this month (and are reoccurring themes throughout the year), contention, impatience, disagreements and the urge to shake up the status quo, but not always in a way that is constructive, are also very much in the air in January.
Saturn represents careful planning, a sober outlook and established institutions, while Uranus stands for the rebel, the new and innovative, protest and revolution; bring Mars into the mix and things will get heated up and tempers flair. The Saturn camp is seeking to rebuild and change direction, albeit slowly, but Uranus and Mars do not have the patience to listen to a five point plan presented in Parliment–they’d rather take to the streets and shout enough is enough and maybe start something on fire.
This energy will manifest in different ways throughout the world, with various groups and individuals playing the role of the Aquarian committee and other the Martial and Uranian rebel forces.
Worst case scenario: tensions escalate.
Best case scenario: we plant the seeds and make progress with constructive plans for the future on many fronts, which are interrupted but not stopped by a chorus of possibly reactionary voices that don’t agree.
All in all, a rocky but not terrible start to 2021–after 2020, the bar has definitely been lowered, so I feel confident we’ll get through it just fine.
If you have any questions or anything to add that I may have left out of my forecast, please do post a comment below.
I’ll be back later this month with a deeper dive into Jupiter and Saturn and a look at lunar cycles as well as a weekly breakdown of the aspects for the week.
XOXO
Rebeccah
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ageofair.substack.com
In this introductory episode, I let you know why I'm kicking off this podcast as well as give you some insight to my background and approach to astrology, tarot and magic.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ageofair.substack.com